Netflix’s animated film KPop Demon Hunters made history at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, on January 11. The ceremony was attended by the creative team and singing voices of KPop Demon Hunters, cast of No Other Choice, Lisa from BLACKPINK, and SEVENTEEN’s Joshua.
The animated film won both Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Song, the first time a Korean animation has ever won a Golden Globe. On the other hand, Park Chan Wook’s film, No Other Choice, failed to win the coveted award.
Released on June 30, 2025, KPop Demon Hunters became a global phenomenon. In just 91 days, it set a Netflix record with 325.1 million views, nearly 100 million more than the second-place film, Red Notice. The story follows the K-pop girl group HUNTR/X, who moonlight as demon hunters and protect the Soul Gate against evil spirits.
The song “Golden,” performed by the fictional group HUNTR/X and written and composed by Korean-American singer and composer EJAE, also made history. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for eight non-consecutive weeks and has been nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year.
At the Golden Globes, EJAE appeared on the red carpet and later tearfully accepted the award. Holding the trophy in her hands, she wiped away tears and reflected on his journey, saying, “I worked tirelessly for 10 years to fulfil one dream to become a K-pop idol, but I was rejected and disappointed that my voice was not good enough. So, I leaned on songs and music to get through it, and now I’m here as a singer and a songwriter.”
She also expressed gratitude to his family, friends, and colleagues, adding in Korean, “Mom, I love you.”
EJAE dedicated the award to everyone who has faced rejection, saying, “Rejection is re-direction.”
The film, co-directed by Korean-American directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhens, became the first animated feature directed by Korean-Americans to win a Golden Globe. In the Best Original Song category, Golden competed against songs like “Dream As One” from Avatar: Fire and Ashes, “I Ride to You” from Sinners, and “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble” from Wicked: For Good.
The film itself beat Demon Slayer: Infinity Arc , Zootopia 2, Little Amelie, Arco, and Alio for Best Animated Feature Film.
While KPop Demon Hunters enjoyed historic wins, not all Korean films won at the Globes. Director Park Chan Wook’s film No Other Choice lost the Best Non-English Film award to Brazilian director Gleber Mendonça Filho’s The Secret Agent. It previously lost the award to The Secret Agent at the recently held Critics’ Choice Awards.
No Other Choice had previously been nominated in other categories, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actor for Lee Byung Hun, who lost to Timothée Chalamet.
