A 16-year-old Thai rock singer and guitarist who has performed with the prime minister and Linkin Park won a top US television talent show Thursday, sparking celebrations back home.
Anutin, who is currently in New York for the UN General Assembly meetings, sent his congratulations to Nene, the first Thai national to win the hit TV show. In her final performance, she played guitar and sang alongside US band Linkin Park.
Nene Royal, whose real name is Rattikarn Amloy, took home the $1 million prize as winner of “America’s Got Talent”, after wowing judges with blistering guitar solos and rock ballad shrieks. “I’m very happy and you know I’m emotional right now,” said the teenager, who beat a magician for the win. Nene said she learned guitar mostly by watching online videos, and then got a music scholarship to the private international school. “When I played the first chord, I fell in love and I thought I am going to be the girl rock star,” she said in an interview with AGT. The school said it knew from the beginning she was “an extraordinary talent with a bright future ahead”.
