KPop Demon Hunters Makes Oscars History with Dual Wins for Animation and Song
The animated film KPop Demon Hunters made a historic impact at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday night, securing two prestigious Oscars. The film triumphed in the categories of Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song, marking a significant milestone in cinematic and musical achievements.
'Golden' Becomes First K-Pop Song to Win an Academy Award
The song 'Golden' from KPop Demon Hunters became the first K-pop track ever to win the Oscar for Best Original Song. This victory follows its earlier success at the Grammys, Golden Globe Awards, and Critics' Choice Awards, where it also set records as the first K-pop song to win in those ceremonies.
Written by a collaborative team including Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seon, and Teddy Park, 'Golden' outperformed other nominees such as 'I Lied to You' from Sinners, 'Dear Me' from the documentary Diane Warren: Relentless, Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner's title song from Train Dreams, and 'Sweet Dreams of Joy' from Viva Verdi!.
During the Oscars ceremony, Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami—who provide the singing voices for the film's fictional girl group HUNTR/X—performed 'Golden' live on a K-pop-style stage, accompanied by a large dance ensemble and an audience waving glowing lightsticks.
Emotional Acceptance Speech and Controversial Moment
Upon accepting the award for Best Original Song, Ejae delivered an emotional speech, reflecting on her journey and the cultural significance of the win. "Growing up, people made fun of me for liking K-pop. But now everyone's singing our song and all the Korean lyrics, I'm so proud," she said. "And I realised this award is not about success, it's about resilience, and I'm just so grateful to our team."
However, the celebration was briefly marred when co-writer Yu Han Lee's microphone was cut off as he began to speak, prompting audible boos from the audience, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
Historic Win for Best Animated Feature
KPop Demon Hunters also claimed the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, defeating strong contenders including Zootopia 2, Arco, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, and Elio. This victory makes director Maggie Kang and producer Michelle LM Wong the first female Asians and the first South Koreans to win in this category.
In her acceptance speech, Kang expressed pride and hope for future generations. "Thank you to the Academy and to all the fans who got us here. For those of you who look like me, I'm so sorry that it took so long to see us in a movie like this, but it is here. That means the next generations don't have to go longing," she said. "This is for Korea and Koreans everywhere."
Film Details and Future Plans
Released on Netflix in June 2025, KPop Demon Hunters is an action fantasy-musical produced by Sony Animation. The film follows the K-pop girl group HUNTR/X as they lead a double life battling a rival band, the Saja Boys, who are revealed to be demons. It currently holds the record for the most-streamed film in Netflix history.
The voice cast is led by Arden Cho from Teen Wolf and popular K-drama star Ahn Hyo Seop, with supporting roles from May Hong, Yoo Ji Young, Kim Yun Jin, Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong, and Lee Byung Hun from Squid Game.
Prior to the Oscars, the film had already won Best Animated Feature at the Golden Globe Awards and the Critics Choice Awards. In exciting news for fans, Netflix and Sony have confirmed that a sequel has been greenlit, with Kang and co-director Chris Appelhans returning to write and direct. The sequel is expected to be released in 2029.
