KPop Demon Hunters is sweeping U.S. award ceremonies. The Netflix animated film made history at the 98th Academy Awards with two major wins. However, the big night ended with controversy after the team behind its hit song “Golden” had their acceptance speech abruptly cut short.
The ceremony took place at the Dolby Theatre on March 15, attended by major Hollywood stars. The film won Best Animated Feature, beating other nominees including Zootopia 2, Elio, Arco, and Little Amélie.
The film’s theme song Golden also won Best Original Song, the first time a K-pop song has received the honor at the Oscars.
Before the award was announced, the stage turned into a celebration of Korean culture. Traditional pansori performers opened the performance, followed by dancers wearing hanbok. Vocalists EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami delivered a powerful live performance of the song.
The moment even brought a K-pop concert vibe to the ceremony. Stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio were spotted waving light sticks in the audience.
Director Maggie Kang, wearing a bright red dress, delivered an emotional speech while accepting the award.
“For those of you who look like me, I am truly sorry that it took us so long to see us in a movie like this,” she said through tears. She dedicated the award to “Korea and Koreans everywhere.”
The song had already achieved major success before the Oscars. “Golden” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has gathered hundreds of millions of streams worldwide.
Oscars 2026 received backlash from fans after the speech was cut off midway. The controversy began during the acceptance speech for Best Original Song. EJAE began the speech by talking about her experience growing up as a K-pop fan.
The Korean-American singer-songwriter shared, “Growing up, people made fun of me for liking K-pop.” She added, “But now, everyone is singing out songs with Korean lyrics, and I’m so proud.”
After about a minute, she tried to hand the microphone to one of the song’s co-writers so others could speak. However, the orchestra began playing the music used to signal the end of speeches. As songwriter YuHan Lee stepped forward, his voice was drowned out.
EJAE could be heard saying “Please,” as she tried to continue, but the broadcast quickly moved on and cut to a commercial break.
Some viewers felt the team did not get enough time to speak compared to other winners and questioned whether the interruption was disrespectful.
Others pointed out that time limits vary depending on the award category. In recent years, winners in the Best Original Song category have often received shorter speech times.
KPop Demon Hunters, released on Netflix in June 2025, blends action fantasy with K-pop culture and follows a girl group that secretly fights demons.
The movie has become one of Netflix’s biggest animated hits and has also earned awards from major organizations such as the Golden Globe Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards, and the Producers Guild of America.
Kang spent several years developing the project that drew inspiration from her own experiences growing up as a Korean in Canada.
Netflix has confirmed a KPop Demon Hunters sequel and already signed a multi-year deal with the creators.
