Huntr/x really is “Golden.”
Netflix’s Kpop Demon Hunters finished its stunning award-season sweep Sunday night by taking home the Oscar for Best Original Song at the 98th Academy Awards for the girl group’s certified hit.
The big moment came shortly after EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami energized the audience with their live rendition of “Golden.” Though, it was just a snippet of the song, rather than the entirety of it, making it quite a bit briefer than some of the other performances throughout the night. The audience seemed to get into it though, having been supplied with glowing wands (a staple at K-pop concerts) to light up the Dolby as they sang.
“Growing up, people made fun of me for liking K-pop, but now everyone is singing our song and all the Korean lyrics,” EJAE said through tears as she accepted the award alongside her fellow songwriters. “I realized the song, this award is not about success. It’s about resilience.”
Perhaps the other winners had equally as touching remarks to make, but the audience will never know, as they were unceremoniously played off the stage while accepting what is a historic win for the category. That is sure to leave a sting, given that even after they cut, co-writer Mark Sonnenblick was jumping up and down defiantly and fruitlessly trying to make a speech after the others left, per Deadline’s reporters in the room.
With the Best Animated Feature win, Maggie Kang and Michelle L.M. Wong (nominated alongside Chris Appelhans) became the first individuals of South Korean descent to ever win in the category. The Original Song trophy for Ejae, 24, Ido & Teddy Park became the first South Koreans to win in the category. “Golden” is the first K-Pop song to win an Oscar.
The deal was all but sealed well ahead of the March 15 ceremony after the chart-topping tune collected trophy after trophy on its way to the Dolby Theatre. In early February, “Golden” made history as the first K-pop song ever to win a Grammy. It also won the original song category at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards.
“Golden” took off last summer after the release of Kpop Demon Hunters, climbing to the top of the Hot 100. It became the first K-pop song led by female vocalists ever to do so. With “Golden,” Huntr/x also became the first “all-women collective of three or more members” in the U.S. to reach No. 1 since Destiny’s Child with “Bootylicious” in 2001.
Last year, Kpop Demon Hunters became Netflix’s most-watched title ever over a six-month period with 482M views between July and the end of December. That doesn’t even include the 36.7M streams it recorded in the 10 days after its release on June 20, 2025.
In total, the Sony Pictures Animation title had 518.2M views on Netflix through December — and it has continued to claim a place on the streamer’s weekly Top 10 throughout the beginning of the year as it swept through award season.
English (US) ·