KATSEYE will be honored as Group of the Year at Variety’s 10th Annual Hitmakers Celebration, Variety announced on November 2. Olivia Rodrigo will receive the Songwriter of the Year Award, while Sienna Spiro will receive the Visionary Voice Award at the same event in Los Angeles in December.
Variety said more honorees will be announced in the coming days. The Hitmakers event and its companion issue recognize the year in music, honoring the songwriters, producers, publishers, managers and executives behind the 25 most-consumed songs of the year, according to Billboard and Luminate charts. The celebration culminates in an invitation-only brunch in Los Angeles on Saturday, December 5, with TikTok as the event’s Premier Partner.
“The 2026 Hitmakers honorees have shaped the sound and business of music in countless ways,” said Variety’s Executive Editor, Music Jem Aswad. “Their creativity, vision, and relentless drive are creating the soundtracks for so many lives. We look forward to honoring them all in December!”
KATSEYE is a two-time Grammy-nominated, three-time American Music Award-winning global girl group formed through HYBE and Geffen Records’ Dream Academy. Variety described the group as blending global pop influences with K-pop’s precision-driven performance style, and as a defining force in modern pop.
That profile was built on a breakthrough year. The group’s third EP, “WILD,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking the biggest U.S. girl-group debut in nearly 20 years, and featured the Billboard Hot 100 hits “PINKY UP,” “Animal” and “Hootie Frutti.” Following their Coachella debut, KATSEYE launched their arena tour, which sold out within 48 hours, while their film, “KATSEYE: WILD HEARTS,” reached audiences in more than 60 countries.
Rodrigo’s honor reflects a career built on chart-topping songwriting. Her 2021 debut album, “SOUR,” launched with “drivers license” and “good 4 u,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and won her three Grammy Awards. She is currently on her sold-out Unraveled Tour, which began in September and will run through May 2027.
Spiro broke through in fall 2025 with “Die On This Hill.” By early 2026, she had placed all three of her singles on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously, and her debut album “Visitor” debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200. She also won Best New Artist at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards.
More honorees and event details will be revealed before the December event, Variety said.
