Phuket musician Nene Royal advances to America’s Got Talent live shows

Sixteen-year-old musician Nene Royal from Phuket has advanced to the live quarter-finals of America’s Got Talent Season 21 after performing Muse’s “Hysteria” in the Judges’ Callbacks round.

Royal’s performance, which featured a guitar solo and vocals, impressed the judges, including executive producer Simon Cowell. The AGT Auditions social media channels confirmed her progression with the announcement: “NENE ROYAL is heading to the live shows.”

The Phuket teenager first attracted international attention during her audition with a cover of “Zombie” by The Cranberries. The performance went viral and led to praise for her musical maturity and rock style.

Her place in the live shows means her progress will now be decided by public voting. The quarter-finals will feature 44 acts across four weeks, with 11 contestants performing each week.

The quarter-final performances are scheduled for 18–19 August, 25–26 August, 1–2 September and 8–9 September. The semi-finals are scheduled for 15–16 September, followed by the season finale on 22 September and the crowning of the winner on 23 September.

The programme will be broadcast live in the United States on NBC. In Thailand, viewers can watch via True X-Zyte on Channel 340.

Voting is available through the America’s Got Talent on NBC app for iOS and Android. Voters must register for an NBCUniversal account, and voting is restricted to people physically located in the United States and Puerto Rico.

According to the supplied voting schedule, voting opens when Royal’s live performance airs and remains open for about 12 to 13 hours. The broadcast is scheduled for 8pm Eastern Daylight Time in New York, 5pm Pacific Daylight Time for the Los Angeles live stream, and 7am Thailand time, with voting closing at midnight in Thailand.