# Nene Royal's Guitar Journey

> 16-year-old Nene Royal wins America's Got Talent with rock guitar skills.
- Title: Nene Royal's Guitar Journey · Guitar World | Shortify
- Summary: 16-year-old Nene Royal wins America's Got Talent with rock guitar skills. Nene Royal, a 16-year-old Thai guitarist, won America's Got Talent Season 21 after…
- Keywords: nene royal, america got talent, seasong 21, ibanez mc300, fractal audio ax8, avenged sevenfold, linkin park, rock guitar, Nene, Royal's, Guitar, Journey
- Source: Guitar World — https://guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/nene-royal-america-s-got-talent-winner-2026
- Published: 2026-10-06T11:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: nene royal, america got talent, seasong 21, ibanez mc300, fractal audio ax8, avenged sevenfold, linkin park, rock guitar
## Winning the Show
Nene Royal, a 16-year-old guitarist from Phuket, Thailand, won America's Got Talent Season 21 after dropping to her knees when her name was called.

> I really didn't expect to win
## Early Guitar Practice
Royal started playing guitar at age seven, learning songs like the Cranberries' Zombie and White Stripes' Seven Nation Army through YouTube videos.

> I played four chords for three or four days until I learned Zombie
## Dad's Influence
Her father introduced her to rock music during car rides with Deep Purple and Metallica, encouraging her to play despite initial skepticism about female guitarists.

> I didn't see why girls couldn't play rock
## First Solo Challenge
Royal chose Deep Purple's Hotel California as her first solo to challenge herself, practicing intensely from 5pm to 9:30pm on school days.

> I wanted to challenge myself, so the first solo I learned was Hotel California
## Guitar Choice
Royal uses a vintage Ibanez MC300 guitar given to her by a Danish fan, which she says feels smooth and easy to play solos on.

> It just feels really smooth when I play it
## Band and Future Plans
Royal is part of band Ozone, who joined her during the AGT finale, and plans to tour globally after releasing original music inspired by A7X and Linkin Park.

> I want to be a rock star and tour everywhere
## Shy Stage Presence
Royal describes herself as shy but transforms into a confident performer when onstage, saying it feels natural to play.

> They tell me I'm really shy, but when I get onstage, I change
## Upcoming Tour
Royal will open for Avenged Sevenfold in Singapore on October 13, 2.5 years after starting her guitar journey.

> I want to play all over the world
## Key takeaway

Nene Royal, a 16-year-old Thai guitarist, won America's Got Talent Season 21 after mastering rock songs and using a vintage Ibanez guitar.