Animated musical “KPop Demon Hunters” emerged as a major winner at the Golden Globe Awards, taking home honours for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for its hit track “Golden”.
Accepting the award for best original song were songwriters EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick and Lee Hee-joon. Visibly emotional on stage, EJAE reflected on her long and difficult journey in the K-pop industry.
“When I was a little girl, I worked tirelessly for 10 years with one dream—to become a K-pop idol,” she said. “I was rejected and disappointed, told that my voice wasn’t good enough.” She added that being part of “Golden” felt especially meaningful, as the song has helped listeners of all ages navigate hardship and embrace self-acceptance.
Sonnenblick thanked Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation, after which EJAE dedicated the award to those who have faced repeated rejection. “Rejection is redirection,” she said, urging others not to give up. Quoting the song’s lyrics, she concluded: “It’s never too late to shine like you were born to be.”
The category also featured nominations for songs from “Avatar: Fire and Ash”, “Sinners”, “Wicked: For Good” and “Train Dreams”. In the animation category, “KPop Demon Hunters” edged out “Arco”, “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle”, “Elio”, “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain” and “Zootopia 2”. Co-director Maggie Kang, who shared directing duties with Chris Appelhans, became the first Asian woman to win the award. Hayao Miyazaki previously won the category in 2023 for “The Boy and the Heron”.
In her acceptance speech, Kang thanked supporters who believed in a film “deeply rooted in Korean culture”, noting that the creative team aimed to portray women as strong, bold, unconventional and unapologetically human.
The Golden Globe wins follow the film’s success at the Critics Choice Awards, where it also claimed best animated feature and best song for “Golden”. Since its Netflix debut in June, the film has become the platform’s most-watched movie, holding the No 1 position for weeks. Three of its original songs—“Golden”, “Your Idol” and “Soda Pop”—have also charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
The film has earned three Grammy nominations, including Song of the Year for “Golden”. Its popularity also prompted Netflix to release a limited sing-along theatrical version, which performed strongly at the box office despite the film’s availability on streaming platforms.
