America's Got Talent 2026 winner Nene Royal fullfiled one of her dreams last night, October 13, when she appeared onstage in Singapore with her favourite band, Avenged Sevenfold.
Royal, the 16-year-old Thai star who won the world's best known talent contest after dazzling judges and TV viewers with fiery covers of The White Stripes Seven Nation Army and Linkin Park's. The Emptiness Machine, was a late addition to the support bill for Avenged Sevenfold's show at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, and entertained the crowd with her covers of Soundgarden's Black Hole Sun, Muse's Hysteria, and Rage Against The Machine's Killing In The Name, among others.
Royal was then invited to join A7X onstage to guest on Bat Country and Unholy Confessions.
When Royal spoke to Metal Hammer last month, she admitted that she was both excited and scared at the prospect of playing with her heroes at the 12,000-capacity venue.
Explaining how she landed the gig, the vocalist/guitarist from Phuket said, "The managers in Singapore text me: ‘Oh, I hear you wanna play with Avenged Sevenfold?’ I was like, Yeah! They said, ‘Well, Avenged Sevenfold want you to support them.’ They asked me, ‘Do you wanna do it?’, and I was like, Yeah! Dreams come true. Incredible."
Watch the teenage sensation guest with her favourite band below.
US TV talent shows have thrown up a number of artists who have gone on to enjoy successful careers, including Kelly Clarkson, who triumphed on the very first season of American Idol, metal-loving country star Carrie Underwood, who won the show in 2005, Adam Lambert (runner up in the eighth season of American Idol in 2009), and Daughtry (fronted by Chris Daughtry, a finalist on American Idol in 2006).
