From left, Rei Ami, EJAE and Audrey Nuna attend the 83rd Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., Sunday (local time). AFP-Yonhap
Netflix’s animated hit “KPop Demon Hunters” emerged as a major winner at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, Sunday (local time), taking home Best Animated Feature alongside Best Original Song for its standout track “Golden,” cementing the K-pop-inspired film’s status as one of the night’s most successful titles.
The Best Song went to Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo, Park Hong Jun, Kim Eun-jae — also known as EJAE — and Mark Sonnenblick, who are credited for the song’s music and lyrics.
EJAE reflected on her own journey from K-pop trainee to singer-songwriter.
“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. I leaned on songs and music to get through it. So now I’m here as a singer and a songwriter,” EJAE said.
“It’s a dream come true to be part of a song that’s helping other girls, other boys and everyone of all ages to get through their hardships and to accept themselves.”
“Golden” beat a slate of high-profile contenders such as “Dream as One” from “Avatar: Fire and Ash” by Miley Cyrus and two “Wicked: For Good” entries by Stephen Schwartz — “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble.”
While “KPop Demon Hunters” is not a Korean studio production, its creative identity leans heavily on K-pop’s performance language and Korean pop culture — a mix that helped push “Golden” beyond the film itself and into the awards season conversation.
The movie follows a superstar K-pop group — Rumi, Mira and Zoey, collectively known as Huntrix — who juggle stadium shows with a secret second life as demon hunters, facing off against a rival demonic boy band.
Lee Byung-hun attends the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., Sunday (local time). AFP-Yonhap
The film’s victory, however, did not extend to another Korea-related contender.
Lee Byung-hun, nominated for Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy for Park Chan-wook’s “No Other Choice,” did not win. The award went to Timothee Chalamet for “Marty Supreme.”
The film also came up short in the Best Motion Picture — Non-English Language category, where the Brazilian film “The Secret Agent” took the top honor.
Despite not taking home the awards, the film’s nomination was a milestone, underscoring its status as one of the most visible Korean-language titles at this year’s ceremony, with recognition across both film and acting categories.