'KPop Demon Hunters' OST "Golden" Wins Critic’s Choice and Golden Globe Awards, Further Cementing K-Content’s Global Standing

Netflix’s animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" is boosting K-content’s global influence by winning multiple awards at international film and music ceremonies.

"Golden," the OST for "KPop Demon Hunters" produced by The Black Label, received the Best Song award at the 2026 Critic’s Choice Awards held in Santa Monica, California, on the 4th. Critic’s Choice is a prestigious ceremony organized by the Critics’ Choice Association (CAA), which brings together 600 film and television critics and journalists from the United States and Canada.

"Golden" serves as the main theme song for the highlight scenes where the fictional girl group HUNTRIX achieves their goals. Unusually for an OST, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 8 consecutive weeks. The composition and arrangement were handled by Teddy from The Black Label along with producers who have shaped K-pop trends such as IDO and 24.

Notably, the song achieved dual success by winning the Best Original Song (Film) award at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards held on the 11th. At this ceremony, the film "KPop Demon Hunters" also took home the Award for Best Animated Feature.

At the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards set to take place on March 26, "Golden" is nominated in the categories of Song of the Year, K-Pop Song of the Year, and Best Lyrics. Lay, D.O., and Annie, who portray HUNTRIX, are up for Duo/Group of the Year. The OST album competes in the Favorite Soundtrack category.

"KPop Demon Hunters" has captured global audiences by achieving massive success worldwide and dominating top spots on domestic and international music charts. However, the film is ineligible for a nomination in the Best Picture category at the Academy Awards due to failing the theater release requirement. Although it was shown in theaters in three U.S. markets during its opening week—qualifying it for general Oscar categories—it did not meet the strict requirement for Best Picture, which demands seven days of theatrical showing in 10 out of the top 50 markets.

In addition to "Golden," The Black Label’s production team contributed to other OSTs for the film, including "How It Dun," "Soda Pop," and "Your Idol," further driving the film’s popularity. As K-content makes its global impact evident beyond K-pop alone, it remains to be seen whether "Golden" will win awards at other international ceremonies such as the Grammys in the future.