Global girl group Cats Eye emerged as the new driving force in the global music market after sweeping three key categories, including Rookie of the Year, at the U.S. music industry’s prestigious awards show, the American Music Awards (AMA). With attention focused from fans around the world, they showed off their overwhelming presence and captivated the birthplace of pop.
Top honor including “Rookie of the Year,” beating the world’s crop of rookies
According to the music industry, Cats Eye won the “Rookie of the Year” category—one of those awards given only once in a lifetime—at the AMA held on May 25, 2026, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, United States. The achievement stands out as a valuable win over a lineup of standout contenders who had been making their mark not only in the North American music market, but around the world.
In addition to Rookie of the Year, Cats Eye also won “Best Music Video” for its mega hit song “Nally,” and then capped the night by taking the “Breakthrough Pop Artist” category as well, finishing with three trophies in total. Members expressed deep gratitude to their fandom “Icon,” to company officials, and to senior group BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan), which opened the door for their global expansion. In particular, the Korean member Yoon Chae said her heartfelt acceptance remarks in Korean in front of viewers worldwide, delivering a powerful emotional impact to fans at home and abroad.
Bold stage for the new song “PINKY UP”… even pop stars stood up for applause
Before the excitement of the awards even had time to fade, Cats Eye’s stage performance of its new song “Pinky Up” (PINKY UP) was the highlight of the ceremony. The original and daring production using a massive teddy bear-shaped prop filled the stage, drawing gasps from the audience as soon as the act began.
Along with the flawless visual choreography and explosive live energy, the performance heated up the Las Vegas venue. Cameras captured the remarkable sight of world-famous pop stars seated in the audience standing up and enjoying the stage in unison, moving to the rhythm together in response to Cats Eye’s overpowering performance.
Cats Eye signals a generational shift in the global music market
Cats Eye’s three-award sweep at this AMA is a decisive moment demonstrating that the group has firmly established itself not just as a promising rookie, but as a mainstream act leading the global pop market. Since debut, every song they release has been taking over the upper ranks of global charts, and they are recording an unusual growth curve.
With a differentiated concept and solid talent, Cats Eye has captivated the public around the world. Using this achievement as a springboard, the group plans to step up its push for global activities even further. Observers across the global popular music scene are now watching closely for Cats Eye’s next move as they write new myths in the United States—the birthplace of pop.
