“This is embarrassing” - KATSEYE faces fan backlash after calling HYBE founder, Bang Si-hyuk a “visionary leader” in their VMAs ‘Best Push’ win speech

On Sunday, September 7, KATSEYE attended the 2025 MTV VMAs, an annual award ceremony that aims to represent and honor the best of the music video medium. At the event, the global girl group was announced as the winner of Best Push Performance for their track, Touch.

As the members received their award, Lara Raj and Sophia Laforteza gave the acceptance speech on behalf of the group. Lara talked about how she and the members were beyond shocked by this award being presented to them, and also stated that she was happy to see the hard work and efforts of the group paying off.

However, many fans and netizens were not happy with a part of Sophia’s speech. While the idol thanked her fans and other supporters who believed and pushed the members to make their dream come true, some were particularly skeptical of her calling HYBE’s Chairman, Bang Si-hyuk, a “visionary leader,” especially amidst his ongoing lawsuit for alleged illegal trading.

For those who are unaware, Bang Si-hyuk is currently under investigation for reportedly misleading HYBE’s investors that the company wouldn’t be opting for a public listing, but later moved forward to sell the shares at a discount to private equity funds linked to him. He thereby obtained a profit of 400 billion won through this trading after HYBE went public, which was not mentioned in the official listing.

Additionally, many netizens also speculated that HYBE has allegedly bought the category “Best Push Performance of the Year” at the MTV VMAs since only HYBE artists have been winning the category since 2022. Therefore, many people called out the global girl group for allegedly entertaining or admitting that HYBE and the chairman were behind their recent win at the MTV VMAs 2025.

However, no sources have confirmed these allegations, and many fans also came to the defense of KATSEYE, explaining that Sophia was only trying to pay respects to her company and its chairman, under whom the group was housed.

“This is embarassing,” one user tweeted.

Many fans and netizens continued to speculate on the possible payola behind HYBE and the Push Performance category at the MTV VMAs.

On the other hand, fans and netizens also stated that the KATSEYE members deserved and rightfully won the award.

All you need to know about KATSEYE and their recent activities

Megan, Manon, Daniela, Yoonchae, Sophia, and Lara of Katseye, winners of the 2025 MTV Push Performance of the Year Award for Touch (Image via Getty)

KATSEYE is a six-piece global girl group that debuted in 2024 through the reality survival show hosted in collaboration with HYBE Labels and Geffen Records called Dream Academy. The winners of the show ultimately made it into the debut of the global girl group, consisting of the members Lara Raj, Daniela Avanzini, Manon Bannerman, Sophia Laforteza, Yoonchae Jeong, and Megan Skiendiel.

Following the show, the group made their debut with their first single in June 2024 called Debut, which was soon followed up with the release of their next single, Touch. Both tracks were part of the group’s first EP release, SIS (Soft Is Strong), which was released in August of the same year. The five songs from the EP soon went viral, making KATSEYE top Billboard’s Emerging Artists Chart.

In November, they released, Flame, the theme song for the Netflix animated series, Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld. Additionally, they also performed at events such as Wango Tango 2025, Lollapalooza Chicago, and more. Around April 2025, they released their next single, Gnarly, which was followed up with Gabriela in June 2025. Both tracks belonged to their latest EP, Beautiful Chaos.

As the members continued to put forth several impressive and viral tracks, fans and netizens have been eagerly looking forward to the future releases of KATSEYE.

About the author

Aishwarya is a pop culture writer who covers K-drama and K-pop at Sportskeeda. After completing her Bachelor's in English and Communication Skills, she sought a job that allowed her to explore her passion, and being a K-pop and K-drama reporter felt like the ideal fit. Aishwarya has 3 years of experience under her belt and previously took on several internships in the industry that further motivated her in choosing writing as a career.

Aishwarya believes in conducting extensive research and verifying facts with the help of reputable sources to produce accurate articles. She also spends a significant amount of time on Twitter to understand how netizens are reacting to the latest trends in the industry before crafting her content.

She admires SUGA from BTS for his dedication to his work and aspires to immerse herself into the things she loves, just like him. If she could go back in time, she would jump at the opportunity to be part of ""Reply 1988,"" a K-drama set in a time when neighborhood relationships were cherished and interpersonal connections were of utmost importance. Although she loves how technology has advanced, she would also love to experience living in an era before it was invented.

When Aishwarya's not writing and reading about the latest developments in the industry, she spends her time crocheting, sketching, cycling, reading Mangas, and cooking.

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Edited by Aishwarya Sai