Mnet’s ‘GIRLS PLANET 2027’ Expands Search For Next Global Girl Group

Hollywood & Entertainment Mnet’s ‘GIRLS PLANET 2027’ Expands Search For Next Global Girl Group By Laura Sirikul ,

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Laura Sirikul is a L.A.-based reporter covering film/TV and music. Follow Author Aug 04, 2026, 12:50pm EDT --:-- / --:-- This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . Exclusive – If you’re a K-pop fan, you already know the audition and training process that many idols have gone through to debut. CJ ENM is bringing that successful blueprint, which has launched so many Asian music careers, to the U.S. for the first time for their global girl group debut project , GIRLS PLANET 2027 .

Mnet’s audition format, which has created popular groups like Wanna One, ZEROBASEONE, Kep1er, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, JO1, izna, and INI, to name a few, is now coming to the U.S. to find its future stars, built around the fans. The global audience takes part in forming the group, voting with “no borders on who gets a say.” The new series , GIRLS PLANET 2027 , draws on a system Mnet has used for over a decade, following every stage of the process and allowing fans to connect with the contestants.

“Having fans be an integral part of an artist’s story from the very beginning and giving them a real say in who debuts – that’s what makes a Mnet audition a Mnet audition,” says Kim Sinyoung, Chief Producer of GIRLS PLANET 2027 , who produced Mnet’s BOYS PLANET , BOYS II PLANET and GIRLS PLANET 999 . “This format has become one of K-pop’s defining artist development models, creating not only enduring content IP but also global artist IP.”

Last year’s BOYS II PLANET drew in a cumulative total of votes from 230 countries/regions, with 7.37 million fans casting their votes. Over 230 million votes were counted throughout the three-month-long season. ZEROBASEONE and ALPHA DRIVE ONE have broken records in the K-pop industry, with both groups debuting with over 1 million copies sold within the first week of release. In their first year, ZEROBASEONE held the record for most-awarded 5th-generation K-pop group, as well as achieving the Rookie Grand Slam from MAMA Awards, Melon Music Awards, and the Golden Disc Awards.

Mnet’s audition format has been proven beyond South Korea, successfully launching in Japan through LAPONE Entertainment to launch JO1, INI, and ME:I. It has also found success through its other competition shows, like Korea-Japan’s survival show. Unpretty Rapstar: Hip Hope Princess, which formed the hip-hop girl group H//PE Princess . Mnet then launched a Korea-China collaboration to launch PLANET C: HOME RACE and the boy group MODYSSEY.

Partnered with Universal Music Group’s REPUBLIC Collective , GIRLS PLANET 2027 expands its global search with in-person auditions in New York, Los Angeles, and London to be held in early November. This will be the first time for the PLANET series to have auditions in New York and London – making it the “first three-city global search.” For those who may not be able to wait that long, there will also be auditions held in Los Angeles this month during KCON LA.

“GIRLS PLANET 2027 marks another major step forward,” says Kim. “Our partner REPUBLIC Collective will be co-inventing and co-producing GIRLS PLANET 2027 with us and its debut group. By combining our fan-driven approach and our proven star-making system with REPUBLIC Collective’s expertise, we’re pushing the boundaries of where we look for talent, how we find it, and where these artists go after debut.”

Global interest in the series has been massive. Since online applications opened on May 1 via CJ ENM’s global K-Pop content platform Mnet+, there have been over 40,000 applications from around the world, a record high for the company’s PLANET audition series. Applicants from North America account for one-third of all the submissions, symbolizing the spread of K-pop globally and the interest in being part of it.

“Over the past decade or so, we’ve built an audition format that ties together talent discovery, storytelling, fan participation and artist development into one system,” says Kim regarding the increase in interest in K-pop music and the debut model.

The project is also the first to have a full-scale collaboration between a South Korean entertainment company and the global music industry across the entire project – “from production through the debut group’s US promotions and global rollout.” The series is set to premiere in 2027.

Meanwhile, GIRLS PLANET 2027 launched a three-day teaser campaign in New York’s Times Square on August 1, and plans to do more as their on-site auditions begin at KCON LA 2026 from August 14-15 in Los Angeles, then its full three-city – New York, Los Angeles, and London – in early November. Dates and locations will be announced at a later time.

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