Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters" marked a historic night at the Academy Awards, securing the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, while its breakout hit song "Golden" simultaneously triumphed as Best Original Song. This dual victory solidified the film's unprecedented success, making it Netflix's most-watched movie in history and marking significant milestones for K-pop and Asian representation in Hollywood.

The night's celebrations included an exuberant rendition of "Golden" on the Oscars stage by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, the singing voices behind Huntr/x from the film. Teased as a fusion of traditional Korean instrumentalists and dance, drawing on the cultural roots of the animated blockbuster, the performance delivered a vibrant celebration. The artists descended a set of stairs as the audience waved illuminated orbs, rounding out their shortened but powerful performance by striking a pose in front of flag-clutching backup dancers. "Our music ignites the soul and brings people together," a narrator declared before the curtain rose, perfectly setting the tone for a moment that saw "Golden" make Oscar history as the first K-pop song to win the coveted award.

The song's success extended beyond the Oscars. Earlier in the year, "Golden" also made history at the Grammys, becoming the first K-pop song to win the award for Best Song Written for Visual Media. Written by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, IDO, 24, and Teddy Park, "Golden" became a massive hit upon its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 2025. It impressively scored five non-consecutive weeks atop that chart, establishing itself as the longest-leading hit by an animated act on the tally. The artists, who had been on a promotional whirlwind, performed at various Grammy week parties, the BAFTA Film Awards, and the BRIT Awards. Rei Ami described the song's success as "vindicating" and "long overdue," telling Variety, "We worked our asses off. We’ve had the door shut in our faces. We were told we were too little, too much."

"KPop Demon Hunters" demonstrated an unstoppable winning streak, beating out strong contenders like "Arco," "Elio," "Little Amélie or the Character of Rain," and "Zootopia 2" for Best Animated Feature. Its impressive awards cabinet already includes wins for best animated film at the Golden Globes, the Critics’ Choice Awards, PGA Awards, and a remarkable 10 Annie Awards.

The film, produced by Sony Animation and directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, with Michelle L.M. Wong as producer, broke new ground with its Oscar win. Maggie Kang and Michelle L.M. Wong became the first female Asian winners in the Best Animated Feature category. During her emotional acceptance speech, Kang expressed gratitude to the Academy and fans, poignantly adding, "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. And that means that the next generations don’t have to go longing. This is for Korea and for Koreans everywhere."

Similarly, EJAE, who provides the singing voice of Rumi in the film, alongside Mark Sonnenblick and South Korean hit factory The Black Label (Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Zhun), made Oscar history as the first Koreans to win Best Original Song. A tearful EJAE shared her personal journey during her speech: "Growing up, people made fun of me liking KPop, but now everyone is singing our song and all of the Korean lyrics. I’m so proud. This award is not about success. It’s about resilience and I’m just so grateful to our team. I want to thank the resilient cast of ‘Demon Hunters.'"

EJAE further reflected on how the film's success had empowered her, both as a songwriter and a Korean woman. She revealed that the creation of the film's music was a healing journey, allowing her to embrace a side of herself she had previously been ashamed of after being dropped as a K-pop trainee. "I was dropped as a K-pop trainee as a kid and heard a lot of things about my singing voice, saying that it ‘was too low or kind of ugly.’ So while writing the songs, I was very ashamed of me being dropped and this movie allowed me to embrace that side. It was actually a superpower that hurt that I had, and the pain that I went through kind of helped me write the songs." Writing "Golden" helped her accept her voice, challenging her to sing and gain confidence, stating, "This movie saved me to be honest. It is just so beautiful and I feel so accepted. So thank you to the fans so much."

Looking ahead, a sequel to "KPop Demon Hunters" was announced, with Kang and Appelhans returning to direct and write the film, reportedly aiming for a 2029 release. This follow-up marks the beginning of Appelhans and Kang’s new, exclusive multi-year writing and directing deal with Netflix across animation, promising more groundbreaking content in the future.