History was made at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday night at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, and K-pop fans around the world will be talking about it for years. KPop Demon Hunters walked away with two Oscars in a single evening, including the landmark win of Best Original Song for “Golden”, making it the first K-pop song ever to win an Academy Award. The ceremony was hosted by Conan O’Brien, and the night belonged firmly to this Netflix animated phenomenon.
KPop Demon Hunters Oscars 2026: Overview
| Award | Winner |
| Best Animated Feature | KPop Demon Hunters |
| Best Original Song | “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters |
| First South Koreans to win Best Animated Feature | Maggie Kang and Michelle L.M. Wong |
| First South Koreans to win Best Original Song | EJAE, 24, Ido, and Teddy Park |
| First K-pop song to win an Oscar | “Golden” |
The Historic Best Original Song Win for “Golden”
The Best Original Song win for “Golden” is one of the most significant moments in Oscars history for K-pop and Korean representation in global entertainment. EJAE, who voices the character Rumi and served as a songwriter on the track, accepted the trophy on behalf of the group with an emotional speech that drew applause from the crowd.
“Growing up, people made fun of me for liking K-pop, but now everyone is singing our song and all the Korean lyrics,” EJAE told the audience through tears. “I realized the song, this award, is not about success. It’s about resilience.”
The win was especially significant because EJAE, 24, Ido, and Teddy Park became the first South Koreans ever to win in the Best Original Song category. “Golden” beat songs from Sinners, Train Dreams, Viva Verdi!, and Diane Warren: Relentless to claim the award. Notably, the win also extended Diane Warren’s record-breaking Oscars losing streak, as her entry “Dear Me”, performed by Kesha from the documentary Diane Warren: Relentless, marked her 17th nomination without a win.
The Best Animated Feature Win and Korean Representation
Earlier in the evening, KPop Demon Hunters claimed the Best Animated Feature award, with co-directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and producer Michelle L.M. Wong accepting the trophy on stage.
Maggie Kang and Michelle L.M. Wong became the first individuals of South Korean descent ever to win in the Best Animated Feature category, a milestone that drew an emotional response from the audience and from the filmmakers themselves.
Kang delivered a deeply personal acceptance speech. “For those of you who look like me, I’m so sorry that it took us 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 for Koreans everywhere.”
Co-director Chris Appelhans also addressed young creators worldwide. “To all the young filmmakers, artists, musicians in all corners of the globe: Tell your story, sing in your voice. I promise you the world is waiting.”
The “Golden” Performance at the Oscars
Before the Best Original Song announcement, EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, the singing voices behind the fictional idol group HUNTR/X, delivered a live performance of “Golden” that became one of the most memorable moments of the ceremony.
Audiences inside the Dolby Theatre received glowing wands to wave during the performance, mirroring the lightstick culture iconic to real K-pop concerts. Dancers in traditional Korean dress flooded the stage while scenes from the film played in the background, and the three performers wore white ensembles with golden flags waving behind them.
However, the celebratory mood was somewhat dampened when the acceptance speech for “Golden” was cut short by the orchestra play-off music. EJAE was the only one able to speak before the music began, with producer Lee Yu-han (Yuhan) and co-writer Mark Sonnenblick both cut off before they could deliver their remarks. Sonnenblick was seen jumping up and down trying to continue his speech even after the music started. Both gave their full speeches backstage after the ceremony.
Backstage, Yuhan said: “I would like to thank our families, and 24, my fellow IDO members, and Teddy Park. This is an incredible honor.”
Sonnenblick’s full intended speech referenced the film’s themes. “It’s a movie where part of the movie is about looking at someone that you’ve been taught to hate and to fear and starting to trust, maybe even love them. It was a deep collaboration. The fans too, who have loved this movie and made it what it is.”
The cutoff sparked significant discussion online, with audiences noting that earlier awards that evening received considerably longer speech windows, including the Best Cinematography winners who reportedly spoke for close to four minutes.
KPop Demon Hunters: Record-Breaking Awards Season
The Oscars victory caps off one of the most decorated awards seasons any animated film has seen in recent memory. Here is a full breakdown of the accolades KPop Demon Hunters collected throughout the 2026 season:
| Award | Category | Result |
| Grammy Awards | Best Song Written for Visual Media | Won (first K-pop Grammy win) |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Animated Motion Picture | Won |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Original Song | Won |
| Critics Choice Awards | Best Animated Feature | Won |
| Critics Choice Awards | Best Original Song | Won |
| Producers Guild Award | Outstanding Animated Theatrical Motion Picture | Won |
| Academy Awards | Best Animated Feature | Won |
| Academy Awards | Best Original Song | Won |
KPop Demon Hunters: Streaming Records and Cultural Impact
The commercial numbers behind KPop Demon Hunters are just as staggering as the awards haul. Released on Netflix in June 2025, the film quickly became a global phenomenon.
- The film reached 518.2 million views on Netflix through December 2025, making it the most-watched title in Netflix history over a six-month period
- The film and its soundtrack continued to appear in Netflix’s weekly Top 10 throughout early 2026
- “Golden” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for more than eight consecutive weeks, becoming the first K-pop song led by female vocalists to reach number one on that chart
- With “Golden”, HUNTR/X became the first all-women collective of three or more members to reach number one in the US since Destiny’s Child with “Bootylicious” in 2001
- The soundtrack became Billboard’s highest-charting soundtrack of 2025
- Songs including “Golden” and “Your Idol” topped the US Spotify charts
- The film also gave Netflix its first ever number one box-office title when it rolled out to cinemas alongside its streaming debut
The Story and Characters Behind KPop Demon Hunters
KPop Demon Hunters follows fictional K-pop idol group HUNTR/X, made up of three members who spend their nights fighting demons from the underworld using the power of their music. The HUNTR/X members are Rumi (voiced by Arden Cho), Mira (voiced by May Hong), and Zoey (voiced by Ji-young Yoo). The film was produced by Sony Pictures Animation and released by Netflix.
The singing voices for the three lead characters were provided by EJAE (Rumi), Audrey Nuna (Mira), and Rei Ami (Zoey), all of whom have developed significant fanbases of their own as a result of the film’s success.
KPop Demon Hunters Sequel Confirmed
Netflix confirmed last week that a sequel to KPop Demon Hunters is officially in development. The streaming platform has closed deals with directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans as part of a new multi-year writing and directing pact. A confirmed sequel release date has not yet been announced.
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