KATSEYE Eyes 4 VMA Nods, Rides Billboard No.1 Streak

As of September 19, 2026, KATSEYE — the multinational girl group formed by HYBE and Geffen Records — has landed four nominations at this year's biggest US music awards show. Beyond a group-category nod, one of its signature songs is competing for Song of the Summer against top pop stars. The buzz lands just as its latest EP debuted atop the US albums chart, fueling fresh momentum around the nominations.

4 categoriesKATSEYE's total 2026 MTV VMA nominations

170,000 unitsUS first-week sales for the latest EP

4 weeksConsecutive weeks in the Billboard 200 top 20

Key points

An additional round of nominations announced September 18 local time gave KATSEYE a nod in the Group category.
The title track from its third EP is up for Song of the Summer, competing against top-tier pop stars.
An earlier nomination round in early August put another track up in K-pop and choreography-focused categories, bringing the group's total to four nominations.
Its latest EP debuted at No. 1 on the main US albums chart and has stayed in the top tier for over a month.

KATSEYE is back in the running for one of the biggest nights in American pop culture. In a fresh batch of MTV VMA nominations announced September 18 local time, the multinational girl group scored a nod in the Group of the Year category, while the title track from its third EP is up for Song of the Summer — going head-to-head with tracks from Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, Bruno Mars, and Ariana Grande.

That's on top of nods the group already picked up when the first wave of nominations dropped in early August, when another track from the EP landed nominations in K-pop and choreography-focused categories. Combined, KATSEYE is up for four VMA categories this year. The group won a trophy in a breakthrough-performance category last year off a single, so fans are watching to see if they can go back-to-back.

The charts back up the hype. On the UK singles chart, one album track climbed to No. 18 this week, marking its eighth week on the chart, while the title track logged a fifth straight week at No. 48. On Spotify's Global Weekly chart, the same two songs sit in the high-30s and 80s respectively, and a collaboration track with LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT just entered the list too — putting three KATSEYE-linked songs on the global chart in the same week.

The US numbers are even more striking on the album side. The third EP debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and has stayed in the top 20 for more than a month since. With the previous EP and debut release still charting, the group has three projects on the Billboard 200 simultaneously, while two singles sit in the high-20s and high-60s on the Hot 100. First-week US sales for the new EP hit 170,000 units — making KATSEYE the fourth K-pop girl group ever to top the Billboard 200.

The group is a joint venture between HYBE and Geffen Records, born out of HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk's "multiple hubs, multiple genres" strategy. Members were selected through a 2023 survival show before the group's official US debut in 2024. Live shows are rolling too — the world tour kicked off in Dublin earlier this month, with UK and European stops underway and North American dates starting next month.

In Korea right nowKorean media and fans are watching this as proof HYBE's global-idol-group blueprint actually works. The fact that KATSEYE is only the fourth K-pop girl group — after BLACKPINK, NewJeans, and TWICE — to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 has become the headline domestically, with industry watchers framing it as validation that K-pop's production system translates to a group built and based overseas. The VMA nominations landing in the same news cycle as the chart milestone have only amplified coverage back home.

FAQ

Who is KATSEYE?

A multinational girl group co-created by HYBE and Geffen Records, with members chosen through a 2023 survival show before officially debuting in the US in 2024.

What exactly is the group nominated for?

Group of the Year and Song of the Summer in this latest round, plus K-pop and choreography-focused categories from the August nominations — four categories in total.

How well is the group doing on US album charts?

Its third EP debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and has stayed in the top 20 for more than a month since.