Writing a New Chapter in K-pop History… “Golden” Wins First Grammy Award

K-pop culture has finally broken through the most prestigious barriers in the American music industry. The soundtrack track “Golden” from Netflix’s animated film *K-pop Demon Hunters* was announced as the winner of the “Best Song Written For Visual Media” category at the 68th Grammy Awards pre-event held in Los Angeles, USA, on the 1st (local time). This marks the first time a K-pop composer or music producer has won a Grammy Award.

“Golden” is a song performed by the K-pop girl group HUNTR/X. It gained global attention when *K-pop Demon Hunters*, released in June of last year, surpassed 480 million views, becoming Netflix’s most-watched film ever. The composers who worked on this track—including EJAE, Teddy, 24, and Idio (Lee Yu-han, Kwak Jung-kyu, Nam Hee-dong)—received the Grammy trophy. Although music engineers Hwang Byung-jun and the Korean-American Youngin have won Grammys before, this is the first time a K-pop-specific composer or producer has achieved such recognition.

“Golden” secured its international appeal through its dual-language charm in English and Korean. The winners delivered their acceptance speeches in both languages on stage, emphasizing the song’s global identity. Additionally, the track topped the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Official Singles Chart Top 100, while its OST album also reached number one on the Billboard 200 album chart.

Major media outlets in the United States and the United Kingdom hailed this achievement as historic. *Variety* cited the song’s chorus line, “It’s our moment,” to describe it as “the moment for K-pop.”

EJAE, who contributed to composing “Golden,” previously was a Trainee at SM Entertainment but failed to achieve his dream of debuting as an idol. He became a topic of discussion after realizing his dream as a composer and singer-songwriter. In a press interview last October, he expressed his strong desire to win a Grammy, and that dream has now come true.

*K-pop Demon Hunters* was nominated in five categories at this Grammy ceremony, and “Golden” remains a contender for “Song of the Year,” raising the possibility of additional awards. It is also nominated in two categories—Best Animated Feature and Original Song—at the Academy Awards ceremony to be held in Los Angeles on March 15th. Cultural critics described this achievement as an example of a cultural spark generated by the combination of a “local” element, namely Korean tradition, with global capital, which led to a worldwide phenomenon.