Global girl group KATSEYE had a successful debut at the 2026 American Music Awards held on May 25 in Las Vegas. Performing as a five member group, KATSEYE won 3 major awards during the event, including New Artist of the Year, Breakthrough Pop Artist and Best Music Video for their song Gnarly.
The group’s strong performance and multiple wins made them one of the biggest highlights of the evening. During their acceptance speech, KATSEYE leader Sophia Laforteza spoke about the influence of BTS on their journey in music.
The members also thanked fans in different languages, including Spanish, Hindi and Korean, showing appreciation for their international supporters.
The night also marked an important return for BTS, who attended their first major awards show in four years. The group opened the ceremony with a performance of their song Hooligan, which received a loud response from fans at the venue.
Apart from performing, BTS also won Artist of the Year, Song of the Summer for SWIM and Best Male K Pop Artist. The awards added to the group’s long list of achievements at international music events.
KATSEYE & @BTS_twt pic.twitter.com/ou2b8zhcaL
— GLISTEN (@GLISTEN_J) May 26, 2026
Backstage moments featuring BTS and KATSEYE also became popular online after photos and short clips from the event started circulating on social media. In some of the shared moments, members were seen posing together with peace signs and heart gestures.
The 2026 American Music Awards featured several major artists from around the world, but K Pop and global pop groups remained among the biggest talking points of the night.
KATSEYE’s debut success at the event marked an important milestone in the group’s growing international career. At the same time, BTS once again showed their global popularity after returning to group activities following their break from major public appearances.
Fans across social media celebrated both groups throughout the night, making their award wins one of the most discussed moments from the ceremony.