As expected, “Golden” from Kpop Demon Hunters won Best Original Song at the 2026 Oscars.
Surprisingly, not all of the artists who contributed to this groundbreaking K-pop hit—the first to achieve this recognition—had a chance to speak when celebrating their success.
A visibly moved Ejae stepped forward as she and five other songwriters joined her on stage. Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo, and Teddy Park all received the recognition alongside her.
The artist began the group’s acceptance speech, fighting back tears, by thanking the Academy for the incredible award. They shared how they were once teased for enjoying K-pop, but now people all over the world are singing their songs and Korean lyrics, which they said makes them incredibly proud. The artist also voices the character Rumi in the popular Netflix film.
She continued, explaining that the song and this award weren’t about achieving success, but about overcoming challenges. She then expressed her gratitude to her team and thanked her mom, dad, brother, fiancé, and manager for their constant support.
She expressed gratitude to the cast of Kpop Demon Hunters for their perseverance, as well as to Netflix and Sony Animation.
As she scanned the room to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anyone, one of her fellow writers walked up to the microphone holding a note.
He started to thank everyone, but the orchestra began to play, signaling the end of the “Golden” team’s performance.
Sonnenblick attempted to signal that a teammate was still addressing the crowd, excitedly gesturing and urging them to continue, but was quickly escorted away as the ABC broadcast cut to a commercial break. Even as he was being led off, Sonnenblick made it clear he felt the moment had been somewhat spoiled.
The internet reacted strongly to the incident, with many users expressing their frustration. One X user, as reported by unilad, said, “This is so rude! They just made history, let them speak for a few more seconds.” Another user complained, “Why are they cutting off the winners’ speeches when we have to endure long, boring parts?”
Earlier in the evening, when Kpop Demon Hunters won Best Animated Feature, co-writer and director Maggie Kang shared a heartfelt message. She apologized to people who share her background for the lack of representation in films like theirs, but expressed joy that this movie exists, hoping it means future generations won’t have to wait so long to see themselves reflected on screen.
Audrey Nuna, Ejae, and Rei Ami delivered a standout performance of their song “Golden” at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre on March 15th. It was the only track besides “I Lied to You” from the album Sinners featured during the broadcast.
See who else will always be a 2026 Oscar winner, no matter what:
Bugonia
F1
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
WINNER: One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Train Dreams
WINNER: Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Kate Hudson – Song Sung Blue
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Emma Stone – Bugonia
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
WINNER: Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Wagner Moura – The Secret Agent
Elle Fanning – Sentimental Value
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
WINNER: Amy Madigan – Weapons
Wunmi Mosaku- Sinners
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
Benecio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
WINNER: Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value
Chloé Zhao – Hamnet
Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
WINNER: Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another
Joachim Trier – Sentimental Value
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Blue Moon
It Was Just An Accident
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
WINNER: Sinners
Avatar: Fire and Ash
WINNER: Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners
“Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless
WINNER: “Golden” from KPop Deamon Hunters
“I Lied to You” from Sinners
“Sweet Dreams of Joy” from Viva Verdii
“Train Dreams” from Train Dreams
The Secret Agent
It Was Just an Accident
WINNER: Sentimental Value
Sirat
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Butcher’s Stain
A Friend of Dorothy
Jane Austen’s Period Drama
WINNER (Tie): The Singers
WINNER (Tie): Two People Exchanging Saliva
WINNER: All the Empty Rooms
Armed Only With A Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud
The Devil Is Busy
Perfectly a Strangeness
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
One Battle After Another
WINNER: Sinners
WINNER: Avatar: Fire and Ash
F1
Jurassic World Rebirth
The Lost Bus
Sinners
Frankenstein
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
WINNER: Sinners
Train Dreams
F1
Marty Supreme
WINNER: One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
WINNER: Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Bugonia
Frankenstein
Hamnet
WINNER: One Battle After Another
Train Dreams
The Alabama Solution
Come See Me in the Good Light
Cutting Through Rocks
WINNER: Mr. Nobody Against Putin
The Perfect Neighbor
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
WINNER: One Battle After Another
The Secret Agent
Sinners
Butterfly
Forevergreen
WINNER: The Girl Who Cried Pearls
Retirement Plan
The Three Sisters
WINNER: Frankenstein
Kokuho
Sinners
The Smashing Machine
The Ugly Stepsister
Arco
Elio
WINNER: Kpop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
Zootopia 2
WINNER: F1
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
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2026-03-16 06:18