This is their moment. Netflix’s hit animated film KPop Demon Hunters continues to dominate the awards season, going two for two at the 98th Academy Awards, winning Best Animated Feature, while chart-topping global hit “Golden” takes Best Original Song.
The film had already kicked off this year’s awards season with a bang, racking up major wins such as the Critics’ Choice Awards.
The film beat animated nominees Zootopia 2, Elio, Arco, In Your Dreams, and Little Amélie or the Character of Rain. Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, along with producer Michelle L. M. Wong, accepted the award.
“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,” Kang said during the acceptance speech. “This is for Korea and for Koreans everywhere.”
Meanwhile, the chart-topping global hit “Golden,” performed by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami as HUNTR/X, took home the Oscar for Best Original Song. The trio also delivered a live performance of the song at the ceremony.
It is written by EJAE alongside Mark Sonnenblick, 24, Ido, and Teddy Park, who became the first South Koreans to win in the category.
The commercial success of “Golden” was undeniable, topping major global charts and peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Philippines Hot 100. At this year’s Oscars, it bested other nominees in the category — “Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless, “I Lied to You” from Sinners, “Sweet Dreams of Joy” from Viva Verdi!, and “Train Dreams” from Train Dreams.
These major wins come shortly after Netflix’s official announcement of the much-anticipated sequel to the streamer’s most-streamed and most-watched film of all time.
