“Golden” From ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Wins Original Song Oscar

Yes, Diane Warren has lost a competitive Oscar once again. This year, the Academy bestowed the Original Song Academy Award to “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters.” Perhaps one of the more predictable outcomes from the 2026 ceremony.

READ MORE: “KPop Demon Hunters” Sequel Officially Set At Netflix As Maggie Kang And Chris Appelhans Return

Written by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seon, and Teddy Park, “Golden” won an arena full of honors before the Oscars, including Best Song at the BAFTA Awards, the Golden Globe, a Critics Choice Award, and the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media. In fact, “Golden’s” Oscar-winning chances were cemented last November, when the song earned four Grammy noms, including a prestigious Song of the Year nod (that category eventually went to Billie Eilish for “Wildflower”).

The song is performed in the Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation phenomenon Huntrix, a fictional K-pop group composed of EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami. The trio has performed the song live on every conceivable variety, talk, and awards show for months (though surprisingly not at the Grammys). The song was one of the biggest hits of 2026, holding the no. 1 spot on the Billboard Global 200 for 18 non-consecutive weeks, eight weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and ranked 25 on the year-end Billboard Hot 100 chart. In the U.S. alone, the song has been certified 5x platinum (equivalent to 5 million in sales), and the main track has reached 1.5 billion streams on Spotify. The lyric video on YouTube has hit a staggering 1.2 billion streams on YouTube.

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EJAE, Nuna, and Ami opened the 2026 Oscars ceremony by performing the song.

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Gregory Ellwood

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