Meet KATSEYE, the international girl group up for Grammys best new artist

KATSEYE competed for their spot in front of the world on Netflix's 2024 documentary "Pop Star Academy." Now, six members and two Grammy nominations later, the girl group is making a mark in the music industry.

The "Gabriela" singers are thanking their fans for their early success, saying "we wouldn’t be here without our EYEKONS - words can’t describe how grateful we are to you," in a November Instagram post.

Here's a look at KATSEYE's rise to stardom ahead of the 2026 Grammys, which air live Feb. 1 from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles with Trevor Noah returning as host.

KATSEYE was created via a competition series

The six KATSEYE members are from around the world: Lara Raj (Los Angeles), Daniela Avanzini (Atlanta), Megan Skiendiel (Honolulu), Manon Bannerman (Switzerland), Sophia Laforteza (Philippines) and Yoonchae Jeung (South Korea).

Formed in 2023, the international girl group was created through a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity spearheaded by Geffen Records and HYBE Entertainment.

Chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M spoke about the partnership with the entertainment company and its founder, Bang Si-Hyuk, at an event in 2023: "To develop a global group with Bang, with the best of K-Pop methodology, and our Geffen team, is truly special and will bring to life a first-of-its kind experience in music," John Janick said at the time. "Each candidate is incredibly talented, dedicated, and driven, making this an exciting moment for music fans around the world."

Twenty girls were selected to participate in The Dream Academy, a competition and development process later chronicled in the Netflix docuseries "Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE."

The final group name, KATSEYE, symbolizes the diversity of the rising stars.

“A cat’s eye is a gemstone that radiates a variety of colors, depending on the direction from which it's viewed - much like the group’s members. Each exudes her own distinct aesthetic and talents,” their website explains.

KATSEYE goes full speed with music releases, sold-out tour

KATSEYE dropped their five-track EP titled “SIS (Soft Is Strong)” in the summer of 2024, which features their first single, “Debut.” The music video for the song has since garnered 63 million views on YouTube.

Their most popular effort since entering the music scene was their second EP, “BEAUTIFUL CHAOS,” released June 2025. The project includes their first Billboard charting track, “Gnarly.” New York rapper Ice Spice is featured on the remix.

Speaking to Billboard, Megan explained that “Gnarly” means “Not being afraid of being cringe … letting your intrusive thoughts win.” The group performed the song at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, as well as “Gabriela.” The pop collective walked away with a Moonman statue for the PUSH performance of the year award for "Touch."

KATSEYE hit the road for their first sold out tour, “BEAUTIFUL CHAOS,” in mid-November, with dates across the country. According to reports, tickets in some cities skyrocketed to $4,000. The fans, whom they call “EYEKONS,” shared highlights of the group’s intricate dance breaks on TikTok.

To kick off 2026, the group officially released the studio version of their song, “Internet Girl.”

Their viral GAP ad took over TikTok

Last year, KATSEYE went ultra-viral after starring in the Gap's ad campaign, dubbed “Better in Denim.” The girls danced to Kelis’ “Milkshake,” with choreography by Robbie Blue. The dance routine took social media by storm.

“Gap didn’t ask us to fit in — they invited us to show up as we are,” KATSEYE said in a press release. “The denim moved with us, and every look felt like our own. We got to perform as ourselves, bringing our style and culture to every frame. That’s what makes this moment so powerful.” 

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the company saw an uptick in sales following the ad’s release.

Grammy nods are 'the biggest honor'

KATSEYE earned two nominations for the 2026 Grammy Awards for best pop duo/group performance for their song “Gabriela” and best new artist.

In the latter category, they’re against other heavy hitters including Leon Thomas, Olivia Dean, Lola Young, sombr, Alex Warren, Addison Rae, and The Marias. Bandmember Lara shared her reaction to the recognition in a recent interview with People.

“It's literally just the biggest, biggest honor. I don't think any of us were expecting it. It really took us by surprise, both of the nominations. When we found out, we were all in tears, screaming, crying,” she said.

The 20-year-old singer continued, “It means so much to be recognized among so many people that have been in the industry for so long — and people that we look up to. So many people nominated are the reason that [we are] artists in the first place.”

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected].