Overcoming 10 Years of Rejection in K-pop to Win Golden Globe Award, EJAE Takes Home Best Original Song for “Golden”

At the 2026 Golden Globe Awards ceremony, singer and composer EJAE won the Best Original Song award for “Golden,” the theme song of Netflix’s animated series *KPop Demon Hunters*. EJAE became the first Korean-American to receive a Golden Globe.

The 33-year-old EJAE (real name Kim Eun-jae) spent over 10 years in South Korea’s K-pop industry before moving to the United States where she achieved her current success. She joined SM Entertainment as a Trainee in 2003 at the age of 11 and trained alongside future members of Girls’ Generation, SHINee, and f(x). However, she never got a chance to debut with any group or pursue a solo career and was released from the company around 2014 to 2015.

Not giving up on music, EJAE moved to the U.S. and enrolled in the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. She solidified her reputation as a composer in 2019 by co-writing Red Velvet’s massive hit “Psycho.” Since then, she has written songs for major K-pop groups such as aespa, TWICE, LE SSERAFIM, and NMIXX.

For *KPop Demon Hunters*, EJAE composed the music for the character Rumi in the girl group Huntrix. Director Maggie Kang stated that EJAE’s demo was one of the key reasons behind deciding to produce the film. After its release in June 2025, “Golden” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 8 weeks.

At the awards ceremony held at the Beverly Hilton, EJAE shed tears of emotion as she delivered her speech. She said, “This song became part of something that helps other girls, boys, and everyone overcome difficulties and accept themselves. This is when a dream becomes reality.” She added, “This award is for those whose doors have been closed. Rejection is just a redirection, and the chance to shine as you were born is never too late.”