Netflix Anime “KPop Demon Hunters” Wins Two Golden Globe Awards, Demonstrating K-Pop’s Global Influence

Netflix’s anime series based on K-Pop, “KPop Demon Hunters” (hereafter “KDEH”), received the Best Animated Feature award and the Best Original Song award at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards. At the ceremony held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, USA, on the 11th (local time), KDEH overcame strong competitors such as “Zootopia 2” and “Demon Slayer: The Movie – Mugen Train” to claim these honors.

Director Maggie Kang, a Korean-Canadian, took the stage and expressed her gratitude, saying, “I thank everyone who believed that a film deeply rooted in Korean culture can connect with audiences around the world.” She added, “Through this movie, I wanted to portray female characters exactly as we know them—strong, confident, sometimes funny or quirky, craving food, and occasionally feeling thirsty.”

The original soundtrack track of KDEH, titled “Golden,” won the Best Original Song award, surpassing tracks like “Dreams as One” from “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “I Ride to You” from “Sinners,” “No Place Like Home” from “Wicked: For Good,” and “Train Dreams” from “Train Dreams.” This marks the first time K-Pop has won a Best Original Song award at one of Hollywood’s most prestigious film ceremonies.

EJAE, the singer and co-songwriter of “Golden” (real name Kim Eun-jae), shed tears of joy on stage. Referring to his time as a K-Pop trainee in Korea, he said, “When I was young, I worked tirelessly for 10 years to achieve my dream of becoming an idol, but I was rejected and disappointed because they thought my voice wasn’t good enough.” He continued, “To overcome that pain, I relied on singing and music, and now I stand here as a singer and composer. Never give up. There is never too late to shine,” earning loud applause from the audience.

Producer 24 said, “As someone who creates music, it’s an honor to be invited to such a major film awards ceremony, and I’m happy to have won an award as well.” Composer IDO added, “Receiving such a big award feels like I’m dreaming. I am deeply grateful to everyone who contributed to ‘KDEH.’”

KDEH is a story about Lumii, Mira, and Joy, members of the girl group “HUNTR/X” — demon hunters — who fight against the boy group “Saza Boys.” It is one of Netflix’s highest-grossing series ever. Since it features K-Pop idols as the main characters, it includes theme songs like “Golden,” “Soda Pop,” and “Your Idol” that incorporate K-Pop elements. The series also vividly depicts Korean lifestyles such as cup noodles, kimbap, public baths, and traditional Korean medicine clinics. It makes use of various iconic locations including Myeongdong Street, Namsan Seoul Tower, as well as characters inspired by Musok religion, the Guardians of the Underworld, tiger and magpie motifs from Joseon-era folk art.

Film critic Yoon Seong-eun commented, “Even though ‘KDEH’ was created by a foreign studio, it fully captures Korean history, culture, and sentiment. The subject matter and setting are inherently Korean, so it can be considered a triumph of K-Pop.” Music critic Im Hee-yoon analyzed, “KDEH has changed the status of K-Pop. It elevated it from simply ‘music we know’ to something continuously consumed in real life.”

“Golden” became the first K-Pop track to top both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Official Singles Chart last year. Billboard even named the surge of KDEH’s OST tracks as one of the symbolic moments of 2025. The president expressed his congratulations via X (formerly Twitter), saying, “Congratulations. I hope our culture continues to receive greater love on the world stage.”

“Golden” is nominated in five categories, including Song of the Year, at the Grammy Awards scheduled for March 1st next month. It has also been shortlisted for the Best Original Song award at the Academy Awards (Oscars) to be held in March.