Teen rocker Nene Royal becomes first Thai to win America's Got Talent

Nene Royal, a 16-year-old rocker, has been crowned the latest winner of America's Got Talent - making her the first ever Thai winner of the long-running talent show.

For the show's finals on Tuesday in California, Nene, whose real name is Rattikarn Amloy, performed a rendition of Seven Nation Army by American rock duo The White Stripes.

Her heavy metal performances trumped nine other finalists, including magician acts, canine performers and even a robot dance crew.

Many in Thailand are celebrating her win, with some saying they were proud that she had made it to "one of the biggest stages in the world". The Thai government has called her an "inspiration to anyone who dares to dream big".

Nene emerged as a clear fan favourite early in the competition, after a viral clip of her audition, in which she belted out Zombie by The Cranberries to a stunned panel of judges. The video has racked up 20 million views.

On Wednesday night, ahead of the results being announced, Nene took the stage with Linkin Park to perform The Emptiness Machine, a 2024 rock song by the American band.

Later that night she broke down in tears, kneeling on the ground as she was crowned the winner of the show's 21st season - which comes with a prize of $1m (£755,000).

"I'm very happy and emotional right now," she said, thanking everyone for supporting her.