KATSEYE, a girl group jointly developed by South Korean entertainment company HYBE and its U.S. partners, is set to perform at the 2026 Grammy Awards, a high-profile appearance that signals how quickly Korea’s talent-production model is extending into the mainstream of American pop.
The Recording Academy said Jan. 21 that KATSEYE will take the stage at the ceremony at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles as part of a showcase featuring eight nominees for Best New Artist. British singer Olivia Dean is also scheduled to perform.
The academy added that Sabrina Carpenter—who earned nominations in six Grammy categories following the success of her latest album—has confirmed a performance as well. Additional performers will be announced later.
The Grammys remain the most visible annual stage in the U.S. music industry, and the booking is expected to lift KATSEYE’s profile among global audiences at a time when cross-border acts are increasingly competing for attention in a crowded streaming market.
KATSEYE was formed through HYBE’s global audition project, The Debut: Dream Academy, and officially debuted in the U.S. market in June 2024. The group drew early international attention with singles “Gnarly” and “Gabriela,” both of which entered the Billboard Hot 100—an uncommon achievement for a newly launched girl group.
Earlier this year, KATSEYE released “Internet Girl,” continuing its push into the U.S. pop market and reinforcing HYBE’s effort to build acts designed from the outset for Western audiences rather than exporting traditional K-pop formats.
HYBE has positioned KATSEYE as a flagship in its strategy to expand beyond K-pop by blending U.S. pop sensibilities with the company’s Korean-style training and production system—an approach that has helped reshape global expectations for how new artists are developed, packaged and marketed.
The Grammy appearance underscores the growing influence of Korean entertainment companies in shaping global pop acts, as well as the music industry’s widening openness to hybrid, cross-border projects that blur the line between K-pop infrastructure and U.S. chart ambition.
