Who is Manon Bannerman? Manon Bannerman (born Meret Manon Sarpong Bannerman on June 26, 2002, in Lucerne, Switzerland) is a Swiss singer and model best known as a member of the global girl group KATSEYE. She was the first Black artist to sign with a HYBE label, and she won an MTV VMA with KATSEYE in 2025.
TL;DR: Manon Bannerman rose from social-media modeling to global pop fame through HYBE and Geffen’s Dream Academy, debuting with KATSEYE in 2024. In February 2026, the Swiss singer announced a temporary hiatus from the group to focus on her health.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Meret Manon Sarpong Bannerman |
| Age | 24 (as of October 2026) |
| Birth Date | June 26, 2002 |
| Birthplace | Lucerne, Switzerland |
| Nationality | Swiss |
| Profession | Singer, model |
| Known For | Member of the global girl group KATSEYE |
| Marital Status | Not publicly confirmed |
Who Is Manon Bannerman?
The Manon Bannerman biography traces one of the most remarkable rises in modern pop music. Born Meret Manon Sarpong Bannerman on June 26, 2002, in Lucerne, Switzerland, she is a Swiss singer and model who became a member of the global girl group KATSEYE, formed through the 2023 reality competition Dream Academy. She made history as the first Black artist to sign with a HYBE label, debuting with KATSEYE in 2024 and becoming a widely followed figure in global pop culture before announcing a temporary hiatus from the group in early 2026 to focus on her health.
Early Life and Education
Manon Bannerman was born on June 26, 2002, in Lucerne, Switzerland, to a Swiss-Italian mother and a Ghanaian father, and was raised in Zurich. She has one older sister. She speaks English, Swiss German, and German.
Her full name carries three layers: “Meret” is her Swiss given name, “Manon” her middle name, and “Sarpong” her Ghanaian name. While spending a year as an exchange student in Los Angeles, classmates struggled to pronounce “Meret,” so she began going by her middle name, Manon — and it stuck professionally.
She attended the Atelierschule in Zurich, a school with an artistically oriented teaching style, and focused on music and arts throughout her teenage years. She has said she knew since age four that she wanted to be on stage, and her father would call her “Beyoncé,” comparing her aspirations to those of the American singer.
Career Journey
Social media and modeling (2020–2022). Bannerman began building an audience through her Instagram and TikTok presence starting in 2020, where her visual presence quickly drew attention. Between 2020 and 2022 she appeared in several music videos for European artists while pursuing a modeling career and collaborating with international brands.
Discovery and Dream Academy (2022–2023). In 2022, a HYBE casting manager discovered Bannerman on social media and invited her to a global audition in partnership with Geffen Records. According to Wikipedia, it was a HYBE casting manager who first discovered Bannerman on social media in 2022. She competed in Dream Academy, the 2023 survival show co-created by HYBE and Geffen to form a global girl group. Despite having minimal dance experience when she arrived in Los Angeles to train, she finished in sixth place with a score of 68.00 and was selected as one of the six members of the new group — becoming the first Black artist signed to a HYBE label.
KATSEYE debut and success (2024–2025). As part of KATSEYE, she officially debuted in 2024 with the single “Debut” and the EP SIS (Soft Is Strong). In 2025, the group won the Push Performance of the Year award at the MTV Video Music Awards, making her the first Swiss woman to receive an MTV VMA.
Hiatus (2026). In February 2026, Bannerman announced a temporary hiatus from KATSEYE to focus on her health and wellbeing.
For another story of a performer who found fame through an unconventional path, read our Margot Bossus biography.
Major Achievements
- First Black artist signed to a HYBE label, one of the most powerful music companies in the world.
- Debuted with KATSEYE in 2024, a global girl group formed through Dream Academy.
- Won the MTV VMA Push Performance of the Year (2025) with KATSEYE — making her the first Swiss woman to receive an MTV Video Music Award.
- Built an international social media and modeling career before her music debut, working with brands and appearing in European music videos.
Personal Life
Bannerman’s relationship status has not been publicly confirmed, and she keeps her romantic life private. She has described herself as a perfectionist who held back from releasing solo work, and has spoken openly about the cultural differences she encountered between Swiss and American work culture in the music industry. Her temporary hiatus in February 2026 was announced as a step to focus on her health and wellbeing. Fans have also discussed her role as a role model for young Black and biracial girls in the global pop industry.
Interesting Facts
- Her father called her “Beyoncé” as a child because she aspired to become an artist like the American singer.
- She knew she wanted to be on stage since she was four years old.
- “Manon” is her middle name — she adopted it professionally after classmates in Los Angeles couldn’t pronounce “Meret.”
- She went viral in 2025 for a trend inspired by her eyebrow style.
- She is multilingual, speaking English, Swiss German, and German.
- She attended an arts-focused school in Zurich and concentrated on music and the arts as a teenager.
- She had minimal dance experience when a HYBE casting manager scouted her on social media.
- Despite the scrutiny of a global debut, she has been described by group members as holding a “motherly” affection for KATSEYE’s younger members.
FAQs
Who is Manon Bannerman?
Manon Bannerman, born Meret Manon Sarpong Bannerman, is a Swiss singer and model best known as a member of the global girl group KATSEYE.
How old is Manon Bannerman?
She was born on June 26, 2002, making her 24 years old as of October 2026.
What is Manon Bannerman known for?
She is known for being a member of KATSEYE, formed through the reality show Dream Academy, and for being the first Black artist signed to a HYBE label.
Where is Manon Bannerman from?
She was born in Lucerne, Switzerland, and raised in Zurich. Her mother is Swiss-Italian and her father is Ghanaian.
What is Manon Bannerman’s full name?
Her full name is Meret Manon Sarpong Bannerman. “Manon” is her middle name, which she adopted as her professional name.
How did Manon Bannerman become famous?
She built an audience on Instagram and TikTok starting in 2020, was scouted by a HYBE casting manager in 2022, placed sixth on Dream Academy in 2023, and debuted with KATSEYE in 2024.
What is KATSEYE?
KATSEYE is a global six-member girl group formed through the 2023 reality competition Dream Academy, a collaboration between HYBE and Geffen Records. They debuted in 2024.
Why did Manon Bannerman go on hiatus?
In February 2026, she announced a temporary hiatus from KATSEYE to focus on her health and wellbeing.
What awards has Manon Bannerman won?
With KATSEYE, she won the Push Performance of the Year award at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, making her the first Swiss woman to receive an MTV VMA.
Is Manon Bannerman married?
Her relationship status has not been publicly confirmed.
What languages does Manon Bannerman speak?
She speaks English, Swiss German, and German.
What did Manon Bannerman do before KATSEYE?
Between 2020 and 2022, she worked as a social media personality and model, appeared in music videos for European artists, and collaborated with international fashion and lifestyle brands.
Sources & Verification
This Manon Bannerman biography was compiled in October 2026. The core facts — full name (Meret Manon Sarpong Bannerman), birth date (June 26, 2002), birthplace (Lucerne, Switzerland), parentage, education, career timeline, Dream Academy sixth-place finish, KATSEYE debut, HYBE first-Black-artist milestone, and the February 2026 hiatus — are verified against her Wikipedia page. Additional details on her early modeling and social media career come from biographical profiles (humansofglobe.com, gossipify.com) and should be treated as secondary sources. For more celebrity biographies, see our Shahid Bolsen biography.
