HYBE’s KATSEYE to headline Best New Artist stage at Grammys

HYBE’s U.S.-based girl group KATSEYE will perform in the Best New Artist segment at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, a high-visibility moment that underscores the group’s swift ascent since its 2024 debut. The Recording Academy announced the lineup for the special segment in which all eight nominees share the stage before the winner is chosen; the ceremony will be held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Feb. 1, 2026, broadcast live on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and streamed on Paramount+.

KATSEYE, a six-member ensemble composed of Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Yoonchae Jeong, Sophia Laforteza, Megan Skiendiel and Manon Bannerman, was formed through HYBE’s global audition project The Debut: Dream Academy and managed under HYBE’s U.S. expansion in partnership with Geffen Records. Their trajectory has been fast: a U.S. debut in June 2024, Billboard Hot 100 entries with “Gnarly” and “Gabriela,” a Netflix documentary chronicling their formation and climb, and a new single, “Internet Girl,” released early this year. The group also drew attention for a December 2025 live appearance in Inglewood, California.

From a performance perspective, the Grammys will put KATSEYE’s live strengths on a national stage. The Best New Artist segment is designed to showcase artists’ ability to translate studio success into performance electricity, and KATSEYE enters with recent concert experience and charting singles that mix pop hooks with production values associated with HYBE’s K-pop-rooted playbook. The group’s nominations include Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Gabriela,” placing them alongside established collaborators and highlighting their crossover appeal.

Industry trends help explain why a HYBE-assembled group would reach this landmark so quickly. Global entertainment companies are increasingly blending reality audition formats, transnational label partnerships, and streaming-first release strategies to accelerate artist development. KATSEYE’s genesis through a televised audition project and a Netflix tie-in provided a multimedia launchpad that feeds both engagement metrics and commercial partnerships. For labels, awards recognition amplifies streaming numbers and concert demand, strengthening touring prospects and brand deals for an act built expressly for global markets.

Culturally, KATSEYE’s Grammys appearance reflects the continuing mainstreaming of acts shaped by non-U.S. entertainment systems. Their presence in both the Best New Artist pool and a Best Pop Duo/Group Performance nomination signals a broader acceptance of hybrid pop forms in American award shows, and it marks one of the rare instances in which girl groups are recognized in pop group performance categories. That visibility matters beyond sales: it reshapes audience expectations about where mainstream pop comes from and who it represents.

There are broader social implications as well. KATSEYE’s rise spotlights how multinational production pipelines can foster new pathways for diverse artists, while also concentrating creative control within a handful of global companies. The Grammys platform will test whether streaming-era success and corporate-backed development can convert into the cultural legitimacy that awards confer. For HYBE, the moment is both a validation of a strategic bet on the U.S. market and a potential inflection point for corporate influence on popular taste.

Trevor Noah will host the telecast, and the Best New Artist segment will feature Addison Rae, Alex Warren, Leon Thomas, Lola Young, Olivia Dean, somrb and The Marías alongside KATSEYE. Sabrina Carpenter is also confirmed to perform. With millions of viewers expected across broadcast and streaming, KATSEYE’s performance will be a decisive showcase of how globalized pop acts are reshaping awards-season narratives and the business of stardom.