There are few moments more immediately significant than an artist learning they’ve earned a Grammy nomination. For KATSEYE‘s Megan, that revelation arrived not during the live reveal or from celebratory screams, but in the glow of KATSEYE’s group chat.

“I woke up a little bit later so I woke up to the group chat going crazy — that’s literally how I found out,” she tells Billboard exclusively during a phone interview just two hours after the Recording Academy announced the 2026 nominees in full. “It’s just me here right now, but the group chat is blowing up.”

With nods in best new artist and best pop duo/group performance, Megan says KATSEYE’s two nominations feel like a confirmation of the whirlwind experience the sextet has been on from their 2023 Dream Academy competition series to climbing up the Billboard Hot 100 as “Gabriela” reaches a new peak of No. 37 this week.

“It’s all settling in and I feel like I haven’t fully come to my — I don’t know — I feel like it hasn’t settled in fully that we are nominated for two Grammy Awards,” she adds. “It’s crazy, I literally woke up to the news. I think throughout the day it’s gonna settle a little bit more, but feeling super grateful.”

With best pop duo/group performance, “Gabriela” is recognized in a stacked category in this year of superstar team-ups. KATSEYE is up against Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande‘s Wicked duet “Defying Gravity,” Kendrick Lamar and SZA‘s latest collab “30 for 30,” ROSÉ and Bruno Mars‘ multicultural smash “APT.” as well as “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters’ HUNTR/X group of Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami. Megan says the recognition is particularly significant for their position as a global girl group.

“With any award or nomination, it means so much to us because we work so, so hard,” she says. “So, it’s like all of the hard work, those long hours and all the dedication are really paying off. But especially for the best pop duo/group [performance], we really do rely so much on each other; we are literally sisters at the end of the day. So, being able to get nominated with my five best friends is literally a dream come true. It’s the best feeling ever. And especially with what we represent globally, it means so much to each and every one of us. We’re just like so excited and so happy about everything.”

That happiness doesn’t just extend to KATSEYE’s nods, but also to her fellow best new artist nominees, which include friends of the band like Addison Rae, sombr and Alex Warren.

“It’s insane that we’re even in the same category — it’s literally crazy,” the Honolulu native adds. “But yeah, Addison, sombr, even Leon Thomas, Alex Warren, Lola [Young], every single one of them, they’re literally all amazing and we all look up to them in our own ways. We’re so new, so to even be in the same category as these amazing artists is so, so cool. But to be able to share the nomination with some of our friends like Addison, sombr and Alex, it’s really, really cool and I’m proud of each and every one of them as well.”

As for the whole group, KATSEYE shared the following statement on their social media following the Grammy nominations reveal: “We can’t even believe this is real life!! two nominations?! thank you to the Recording Academy we are truly humbled, and congrats to all the nominees today, you inspire us! we wouldn’t be here without our EYEKONS — words can’t describe how grateful we are to you.”

The 68th Annual Grammy Awards will take place Sunday, Feb. 1, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Before that, KATSEYE dropped a new teaser clip today as well, seemingly hinting at something special coming on Nov. 11, tagging the Valorant video game and its accompanying esports league in the caption. Watch below:

From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

The 2025 Maestro Cares Gala

The Maestro Cares Foundation, co‑founded by Marc Anthony and Henry Cárdenas, celebrated its 12th Annual “Changing Lives, Building Dreams” Gala this week at the Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Key leaders, philanthropists, and entertainment figures — including Eva Longoria and J Balvin — were present at the ceremony. Longoria was honored with the Maestro Cares Community Hero Award for educating and empowering Latin women through Eva Longoria Foundation (ELF), and Balvin received the Trailblazer of Cultural Empowerment Award for his commitment to raising awareness about mental health.

“For Henry and me, tonight is not just a gala; it’s a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when talent and generosity come together,” Anthony said in a press statement. “Thanks to their leadership, and to the commitment of every person in this room, we are fostering opportunities and support for girls and boys in need. What we are celebrating today is not an award; it’s a collective momentum that changes destinies.”

Funds raised during the gala will benefit Maestro Cares Foundation programs, focused on housing, education, and health for vulnerable communities in Latin America and the United States.

Chiquis’ New Studio Album

Chiquis has released her new album, Flores En Mi Alma, the first under her own record label Sweet Sound Records. Steering away from the Banda music that has characterized her sound and biggest hits, the Mexican-American singer experiments with reggae, R&B, and folk cumbia on this eight-track set that also includes powerful audio affirmations by the singer. The album, which Chiquis describes as “healing music that comes from the soul,” has a very low frequency to hit the chakras of each person, according to a press statement. 

“I took a little bit of soul space to reconnect with myself and what I wanted to write about,” Chiquis previously told Billboard of her new music. “I think it’s very important to get passionate and fall in love all over again with my art. […] I had my creativity blocked, and I didn’t know what was happening, but then I realized that I needed to look inward. I did a spiritual retreat for three weeks, and it helped me tremendously, to the point that I want to sing things I never sang about.” Stream and listen to Flores En Mi Alma below.

Juan Luis Guerra Will Conquer Aruba

This week, the “Live in Paradise” concert set to take place in Aruba announced Juan Luis Guerra as its iconic headliner. The news was shared during a press conference held from Pier 5 at Bayside Marketplace in Miami on Wednesday (Nov. 5) featuring renowned DJ Alex Sensation and representatives from the Aruba Tourism Authority (A.T.A.) and the Ministry of Tourism of Aruba. The “Live in Paradise” concert, which will bring together music, travel, and the Caribbean culture in a tropical island, will take place Saturday, Dec. 13 at the Harbour Arena in Aruba. 

Gloria Estefan’s Homecoming

Earlier this week, the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation and Sony Music Group’s Beyond the Instrument initiative hosted an event with Gloria Estefan at James H. Bright / JW Johnson Elementary School in Miami. The school, which received a grant for new musical equipment, is where Estefan’s late mother, Gloria Fajardo, was a teacher for more than 20 years, marking a special full-circle moment for the artist.

“Returning to James H. Bright/JW Johnson Elementary School is deeply personal for me,” the artist expressed in a statement. “This is where my mother, Gloria Fajardo, dedicated more than two decades of her life as an educator — inspiring generations of students to dream, learn, and believe in themselves. Music was always a central part of our home and our family, and I know she would be so proud to see the next generation of young minds being nurtured through it. Supporting music education is not just about fostering future artists; it’s about giving children the tools to express themselves, to build confidence, and to connect with their culture and community. To be able to honor my mother’s legacy in this very special way means the world to me.” The celebration also included students from the school performing a special tribute of “Mi Tierra” and “Conga.” 

Mod Sun is looking back on his high-profile engagement to Avril Lavigne — and how the fallout helped him grow.

Appearing on the Nov. 6 episode of Bunnie Xo’s Dumb Blonde podcast, the multi-genre artist opened up about the relationship’s end with surprising clarity, saying: “We’re two different people, but I think I had a great influence on her.” He added that the “Sk8er Boi” singer helped him “grow up,” and that he’s now more secure in his identity than ever before.

The former couple met in early 2021 while collaborating on music, and their joint single “Flames” dropped just weeks later. A whirlwind romance followed, with Mod proposing in Paris in April 2022. Less than a year later, the pair called off the engagement in February 2023.

Though Lavigne has remained publicly silent on the split, Mod has continued to speak openly. In July 2023, he released the breakup track “Strangers,” with lyrics detailing the rise and fall of their relationship. The Paris-shot music video — filmed in the same city where he proposed — added further emotional weight.

On the podcast, Mod said that his perspective on the breakup has shifted over time: “We’re two different people, but I think I had a great influence on her.”

He continued, “Like now, I’m very secure of who I am, because I’ve been lost in the last three years of wondering, ‘Where do I fit in?’”

He added later, “If we had done this talk three months ago, I might’ve been like, ‘F— that person,’ but now… If I run into you? It’s all love.”

He also spoke about developing greater empathy in the aftermath, saying, “When someone does you wrong, stop thinking, ‘You did me dirty, and I’m out for revenge.’ Step in their position.”

Lavigne was briefly linked to rapper Tyga following the split, but the pair separated in mid-2023. Mod, meanwhile, focused on his tour and healing. “Being surrounded by love every night on tour has been an absolute blessing,” he wrote on Instagram days after the breakup. “I just know there’s a plan for it all.”

Thirty-five years after being half of the first (and, to date, only) act to have a Grammy Award revoked, Fab Morvan of Milli Vanilli landed a second Grammy nod on Friday (Nov. 7) – best audio book, narration, and storytelling recording for You Know It’s True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli.

Milli Vanilli, the red-hot pop duo of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus, was crowned best new artist on Feb. 21, 1990, beating out Neneh Cherry, Indigo Girls, Soul II Soul and Tone Loc. The award was presented by legendary songwriter Kris Kristofferson and rapper Young M.C., who also won a Grammy that night for best rap performance for his hit “Bust a Move.”

Their win was expected: By that point, their debut album Girl You Know It’s True had topped the Billboard 200 for eight weeks and had spawned five top five singles on the Billboard Hot 100 – the title track, “Baby Don’t Forget My Number,” “Girl I’m Gonna Miss You,” “Blame It on the Rain” and “All or Nothing.” They performed “Girl You Know It’s True” on the live telecast, making them the only best new artist nominees who performed on the show that year.

There had already been rumblings that Morvan and Pilatus had not actually sung on the album; that they were merely hired because they had the right look to push the act’s upbeat pop/dance/R&B confections to the top of the charts. But it was hard to know if the rumors were true or merely the product of jealousy because of the duo’s outsized success.

On Nov. 14, 1990, their producer, Frank Farian, confessed that Morvan and Pilatus had not sung on the records and announced that he was firing them. Five days later, the Recording Academy announced that it had revoked the duo’s Grammy. Ever since, the academy has acted like Milli Vanilli never existed. If you call up Milli Vanilli in the academy’s awards look-up tool, you will get no results. Their list of best new artist winners skips from Tracy Chapman, who won in 1989, to Mariah Carey, who won in 1991. If you call up Pilatus on the look-up tool today, it shows that this new nomination is his first.

The academy may wish Milli Vanilli never existed, or that its voting members had chosen another best new artist winner that year, but they did, in fact, win. To pretend otherwise is revisionist history.

Who might have won best new artist if Milli Vanilli hadn’t taken the prize? Soul II Soul won in two categories that night – best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocal for “Back to Life” and best R&B instrumental performance for “African Dance.” Indigo Girls won in one category – best contemporary folk recording for Indigo Girls. Tone Loc was nominated for best rap performance for “Funky Cold Medina.”

Will Morvan win on Feb. 1? The competition is tough, and almost comically eclectic. The other nominees are The Dalai Lama for Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness The Dalai Lama; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson for Lovely One: A Memoir; comedian and five-time Grammy host Trevor Noah for Into the Uncut Grass; and Kathy Garver, an actress who played the oldest child on the 1960s sitcom Family Affair, for Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story.

Morvan was part of the Grammy process last year when the documentary Milli Vanilli was entered for best music film, but it wasn’t nominated. The doc was directed by Luke Korem and produced by Korem and Bradley Jackson.

While the story of Milli Vanilli’s rise and fall is amusing in some respects — there was endless mockery of them on the popular sketch variety show In Living Color and by such talk show hosts as Arsenio Hall and David Letterman — one must not forget that one of the members of the duo, Rob Pilatus, died young (in his early 30s) and tragically. Pilatus was found dead in April 1998 from an alcohol and prescription drug overdose. The death was ruled accidental.