On Monday, the girl group KATSEYE took the stage at the American Music Awards, delivering a lively performance of their latest single "Pinky Up." The six-member outfit—comprised of Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia, and Yoonchae—entered the Memorial Day awards ceremony with three nominations, including New Artist of the Year, Best Music Video, and Breakthrough Pop Artist. However, KATSEYE performed as a five-member group at the AMAs due to Manon being on hiatus.
For "Pinky Up," the group kicked things off with an on-stage tea party, complete with giant teddy bears scattered among the tables. As they marched to the center of the stage, KATSEYE delivered a dance-heavy performance, filled with plenty of "pinkies up" moments. The bright pink backdrop featured even more teddy bears, adding to the playful atmosphere.
Later in the ceremony, KATSEYE won New Artist of the Year and celebrated alongside BTS, thanking the K-pop superstars for "inspiring us to represent our culture on a global scale."
KATSEYE's mainstream profile skyrocketed last year, thanks largely to their viral single "Gnarly," which took social media by storm after videos of their energetic and eye-catching performances were shared online. Their follow-up single "Gabriela" secured them a Grammy nomination in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category, further solidifying their success. These songs also landed KATSEYE their first entries on the Billboard Hot 100, with "Gabriela" spending 28 weeks on the chart.
The pop outfit was formed through a joint venture between K-pop giant Hybe and American music label Geffen Records, with the goal of using the K-pop model to create a global girl group. The members were selected through the competition series Dream Academy, while the entire process leading up to that competition series and the group's eventual debut was captured in the Netflix docuseries Pop Star Academy.
Last month, KATSEYE took another major step in their career, performing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival for the first time. In a surprise move during their set, KATSEYE brought out the ladies of Huntrix, the fictional girl group from KPop Demon Hunters, consisting of singers EJAE, Ami, and Nuna. The newly formed supergroup performed Demon Hunters' award-winning anthem "Golden" during KATSEYE's set.
The American Music Awards were created by Dick Clark Productions (DCP), which is owned by Penske Media Corporation—The Hollywood Reporter's parent company—in a subsidiary joint venture between Penske Media and Eldridge.
