KPop Demon Hunters dominated the 83rd Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night, securing two major trophies: Best Motion Picture – Animated and Best Original Song for its chart-topping anthem, “Golden.”
The film, which follows a K-pop girl group who moonlights as supernatural warriors, beat out stiff competition including Zootopia 2 and Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle. Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the movie has become a global phenomenon, recently crossing over 540 million hours viewed on Netflix.
A Dream Ten Years in the Making
The emotional highlight of the evening came when singer-songwriter EJAE (Kim Eun-jae) took the stage to accept the award for Best Original Song. EJAE, who provides the singing voice for the character Rumi, broke down as she shared her difficult journey toward stardom.
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“When I was a little girl, I worked tirelessly for 10 years to fulfill one dream—to become a K-pop idol—and I was rejected and disappointed that my voice wasn’t good enough,” she told the audience. “So I leaned on songs and music to get through it, so now I’m here as a singer and a songwriter.”
EJAE dedicated the win to anyone who has faced similar setbacks. “I can confidently say rejection is redirection,” she said. “So never give up, it’s never too late to shine like you were born to be.”
Dominating the Charts and the Screen
“Golden” isn’t just a critical darling; it’s a commercial juggernaut. The track held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks and has reigned over the Billboard Global 200 for 14 straight weeks. It marks a historic moment as the first K-pop-themed song and the first Korean-American singer to win in this category at the Golden Globes.
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The film’s voice cast features Arden Cho, May Hong, and Ji-young Yoo as the fictional group HUNTR/X. Cho, who plays Rumi, noted that the film is a tribute to underrepresented communities. “It’s a film that brings hope and joy and love to all these different communities,” she shared.
The Road to the Oscars
With these wins, KPop Demon Hunters has officially kicked off its 2026 awards season sweep. The film previously took home Best Animated Feature at the Critics Choice Awards and is now a heavy favorite for the Academy Awards.
Songwriters Mark Sonnenblick and Lee Hee-joon joined EJAE on stage, thanking Netflix and Sony for “believing in and ushering this movie.” With five Grammy nominations also under its belt, including Song of the Year, the “Golden” momentum shows no signs of slowing down.
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