BANGKOK, Thailand – Sixteen-year-old Thai rocker Nene Royal has made history by winning America’s Got Talent Season 21, taking home the show’s advertised US$1 million prize and opening the door to a much bigger international music career.
Born Rattikarn Amloy, the Phuket singer and guitarist became the first Thai act to win the long-running American talent competition after winning the public vote in the September 23 finale. She closed her AGT journey with a performance of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” (ABS-CBN)
But the headline figure of US$1 million, roughly 33 million baht, does not necessarily mean the winner receives 1 million dollars immediately in cash.
According to details of the AGT prize structure, the winner can choose between two payment options.
Option 1 — 40-year payments
The full US$1 million can be paid through an annuity of US$25,000 a year, equivalent to roughly 830,000 baht annually, for 40 years.
The annual payments are subject to applicable taxes, including withholding requirements for foreign recipients.
Option 2 — One-time payment
The winner can instead choose a lump-sum payment based on the present cash value of the prize. This means the amount is substantially lower than the advertised US$1 million.
Current reports put the lump-sum value at approximately US$300,000–430,000, or about 9.9–14.2 million baht, before applicable taxes.
For Nene, however, the prize money is only part of the opportunity created by the AGT victory.
Her performances have put a 16-year-old Thai musician in front of a huge international audience, giving her a platform to build a career beyond Thailand. Her AGT run included a Golden Buzzer from Mel B after her performance of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun,” followed by her place in the live finale.
The win also comes with an opportunity to perform in Las Vegas, adding another major international stage to a career that began with a young guitarist from Phuket dreaming of becoming a rock star. For Nene Royal, the biggest prize may therefore extend well beyond the figure printed on the AGT announcement — the victory gives her a global audience and a platform to develop her music career on the international stage.
