On Wednesday night, 16-year-old guitarist Nene Royal was named the winner of America’s Got Talent Season 21. Let’s take a look back at Nene’s journey on the show, from her original audition to her finale performances.
Audition: “Zombie” by The Cranberries
In her audition for AGT Season 21, Nene Royal shared that she’s from Thailand and said that she’s been playing guitar since she was 7 years old. She went on to sing an electrifying rendition of “Zombie” by The Cranberries while shredding on her guitar. All four judges voted “yes” to sending Nene to the next round, with Howie Mandel calling her a rock star.
After the audition round, Howie Mandel chose Nene Royal to be in his group of acts for the Judges’ Callbacks. She took the stage at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles for her chance to move on to the live shows, performing “Hysteria” by Muse. Mandel said she seemed to have even more confidence than her first performance. He chose to send her through to the Quarterfinals.
Quarterfinals: “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden
In the live Quarterfinals, Nene returned to the stage to deliver a fiery performance of “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden. Judge Mel B was so impressed, she chose to press the Golden Buzzer to send Nene straight into the Finals. Nene’s performance even earned praise from Vicky Cornell, wife of late Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell.
Finals: “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes
Nene got to skip the Semifinals and go straight into the live finale, where she nailed a powerhouse cover of “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes, showing off an incredible stage presence. The judges gave Nene a standing ovation, with guest judge KSI calling her performance “out of this world.” As Howie Mandel said, “You should win. Give her the million, America.”
Finale: “The Emptiness Machine” with Linkin Park
During Wednesday night’s AGT finale results episode, Nene Royal took the stage with rock band Linkin Park to perform their song “The Emptiness Machine.” The band’s lead singer Emily Armstrong said they were rooting for Nene to win. Later in the show, host Terry Crews revealed that she had won the million-dollar grand prize.
What was your favorite performance by Nene Royal during AGT Season 21? Were you rooting for her to win the show? Let us know in the comments below.
Words by:
Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
