LOS ANGELES — “Golden,” the standout track from Netflix’s animated film KPop Demon Hunters, won Best Original Song – Motion Picture at the Golden Globe Awards on January 11, 2026.
Accepting the award were songwriters EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, and Lee Hee-joon. EJAE fought back tears as she spoke about spending 10 years chasing a childhood dream of becoming a K-pop idol — and being repeatedly rejected.
“When I was a little girl, I worked tirelessly for 10 years to fill one dream, to become a K-pop idol, and I was rejected,” EJAE said, adding that she felt her voice “isn’t good enough.”
She said she was grateful to be part of a song that can help people through hard moments, describing “Golden” as something that supports “other girls, other queens and everyone of all ages” as they work through hardship and learn to accept themselves.
After Sonnenblick thanked the teams at Netflix and Sony Animation, EJAE dedicated the award to those who feel shut out of opportunities. “Rejection is redirection,” she said. “Never give up.” She ended by quoting lyrics from “Golden”: “It’s never too late to shine like you were born to be.”
Big Awards Momentum for KPop Demon Hunters
The Golden Globes win comes a week after the Netflix hit was named Best Animated Feature and also won Best Song for “Golden” at the Critics Choice Awards.
Other nominees in the Best Original Song category included “Dream as One” from Avatar: Fire and Ash, “I Lied to You” from Sinners, “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble” from Wicked: For Good, and “Train Dreams” from Train Dreams.
EJAE has previously said that bilingual songwriting helped shape the movie’s sound, and that including Korean lyrics was important for authenticity.
🎵 Singing their praises because song Golden in KPop Demon Hunters just won Best Song Motion Picture at the #GoldenGlobes! pic.twitter.com/zGnS2str2h
— Golden Globes (@goldenglobes) January 12, 2026
Netflix Phenomenon
Since debuting on Netflix in June, KPop Demon Hunters became one of the streamer’s biggest releases, holding the No. 1 spot for weeks. Its songs have also broken out beyond the film: “Golden,” “Your Idol,” and “Soda Pop” have appeared on the Billboard Hot 100.
The project has also crossed into Grammy attention, earning three nominations, including Song of the Year for “Golden.” Netflix also brought a sing-along version to theaters for fan events, where it delivered notable box office returns despite being available on streaming.
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