March 17, 2026
SEOUL – Netflix’s “KPop Demon Hunters” claimed two Academy Awards at Sunday’s 98th Oscars ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood — Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song — marking two historic firsts for Korean creators globally.
The animated feature prize came earlier in the evening. Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans accepted the award, with Kang — a Korean Canadian who left Seoul at age five — speaking first.
“For those of you who look like me, I’m so sorry that it took us so long to see us in a movie that looks like this,” Kang said. “This is for Korea, and Koreans everywhere.”
The win capped the film’s sweep of every major precursor this awards season: the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, Annie Awards and the Producers Guild of America Award.
“KPop Demon Hunters,” which follows a K-pop girl group secretly working as demon hunters, has become one of the defining pop culture events of the past year. Since its Netflix debut last June, it has surpassed 500 million views on the platform and landed eight songs on the Billboard Hot 100.
The second trophy of the night came in Best Original Song. Singer Lionel Richie presented the award to Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, and the rest of the writing team for “Golden.” It is the first K-pop song to win in the category’s history.
Ejae was visibly emotional at the podium. “Growing up, people made fun of me for K-pop,” she said. “But now they’re all singing our songs and all the Korean lyrics.”
She added: “I realized this award is not about success — it’s about resilience.”
The award followed a live performance of “Golden” earlier in the ceremony, staged ahead of the Best International Feature Film prize, which went to Norway’s “Sentimental Value.”
The performance opened with dancers in traditional Korean attire before Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami took the stage in white. Many of those in attendance had lightsticks — the battery-powered wands that have long been a fixture at K-pop concerts — out and waving throughout.
“Golden,” co-written by Ejae, topped the Billboard Hot 100 and charts in more than 30 countries following the film’s debut. The film itself has surpassed 500 million views on Netflix and landed eight songs on the Hot 100.
The night’s biggest winner was “One Battle After Another,” which took six Oscars including best picture and director for Paul Thomas Anderson.
“Sinners,” the other major contender of the season, won four, including best actor for Michael B. Jordan and original screenplay.