Netflix’s “K-pop Demon Hunters” Wins Major Awards at Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice

Netflix’s animated film “K-pop Demon Hunters” has elevated the global profile of K-content by securing consecutive wins at major international award ceremonies.

On the 11th (local time), during the 83rd Golden Globe Awards held in Beverly Hills, California, the film took home two awards: Best Animated Feature and Song of the Year. This outcome mirrored its success at the “2026 Critics’ Choice Awards” held four days earlier, where it also won two awards in the same categories.

The song that won Song of the Year, “Golden,” is the main theme song featured in the film’s highlight moments, showcasing the fictional girl group HUNTRIX as they pursue their goals. Composed and arranged by K-pop producers from agencies such as IDO and 24, with TEDDY, head of The Black Label, at the core, this track dominated global music charts. “Golden” achieved an extremely rare feat by ranking first on Billboard’s main chart, the HOT 100, as an OST for eight consecutive weeks. It remains at number one on Billboard Global 200 for 14 straight weeks.

Singer Hyunjae, who appeared on stage to receive the Song of the Year award, shared her journey as a K-pop idol in a speech filled with tears. She said, “I worked tirelessly for 10 years toward one dream of becoming a K-pop idol, but I was rejected and discouraged because people thought my voice wasn’t good enough.” She added, “I endured it through music and singing, and now I’m here as a singer and songwriter.” She emphasized, “Rejection is just a redirection. Never give up—there’s never too late to shine exactly as you were born to be.”

The production team led by director Maggie Kang said in their acceptance speech for Best Animated Feature, “We really wanted to portray strong and bold female characters in the way we know them in this film.” Co-director Chris Appelhans described the work as “a love letter to music,” highlighting “the power of music to connect us and show us a shared sense of humanity.”

“K-pop Demon Hunters” became Netflix’s most-watched film in its history within two months of its release on Netflix in June last year. The film follows a fictional girl group of three members, HUNTRIX, who use music to save the world from evil forces. Its themes of self-acceptance, community, and overcoming inner “demons” resonated with fans around the world.

This success has also increased the chances of the film winning an award at the 37th PGA Awards, set to take place in Los Angeles on February 28th. The PGA Awards are traditionally considered a key indicator for predicting Academy Award (Oscar) winners, and “K-pop Demon Hunters” is one of five nominees in the Best Animated Feature category.