From left, Chris Appelhans, Maggie Kang and Michelle Wong, winners of the award for Best Motion Picture — Animated for “KPop Demon Hunters,” pose in the press room during the 83rd Annual Golden Globes 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 Annual Golden Globes, Sunday (local time), taking home awards for Best Motion Picture — Animated alongside Best Original Song for its standout track “Golden.” The double win cemented the K-pop-inspired film’s status as one of the night’s most successful titles.
Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, along with producer Michelle Wong, accepted the award for best animated feature on behalf of the team. Kang expressed gratitude to the Golden Globes and to everyone who believed a film so deeply rooted in Korean culture could resonate globally.
“Through this film we really wanted to depict female characters the way that we know women, which is really strong and bold, really silly and weird and really hungry for food, and sometimes a little thirsty,” Kang said.
Appelhans called the project “a love letter to music and the power it has to connect us, to make us see some kind of shared humanity, which we could use in the world these days.”
“We have to thank the fans for embracing the film, it meant everything, keeping the Honmoon strong,” the co-director said. Honmoon refers to a magical, soul-powered barrier between the human and demon worlds in the world of “KPop Demon Hunters.”
Since its release in June 2025, the film has become Netflix’s most-watched title with over 500 million views as of December 2025, reflecting its broad appeal and cultural impact.
The movie follows the superstar K-pop group Huntrix — Rumi, Mira and Zoey — who juggle stadium shows with a secret second life as demon hunters, facing off against a rival boy band consisting of demons.
From left, Audrey Nuna, EJAE and Rei Ami pose in the press room during the 83rd Annual Golden Globes after winning the Best Original Song for “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters” at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., Sunday (local time). The three provided the singing voices for fictional trio Huntrix in the K-pop-inspired film. AFP-Yonhap
The award for Best Original 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, who also provided the singing voice for Huntrix’s main vocalist Rumi, 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.”
She dedicated the award to anyone who “have had doors closed on them,” saying, “I can confidently say rejection is redirection. So never give up. It’s never too late to shine like you were born to be.”
“Golden” beat a slate of high-profile contenders such as Miley Cyrus’ “Dream as One” from “Avatar: Fire and Ash” 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 energy and Korean pop culture — a mix that helped push the film and its soundtrack into the center of awards season conversation.
The animated film was also nominated for the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category, but that award went to “Sinners.”
Lee Byung-hun attends the 83rd 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 Male 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, and Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, which went to “One Battle After Another.”
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 the film and acting categories.