K-pop has just reached a new milestone on the international stage.
At the 2026 Golden Globe Awards ceremony, the song "Golden," from the animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters, won the award for Best Original Song.
A highlight, hailed as a historic first for a work directly linked to the world of K-pop.
🎶“Golden”: a song like no other
“Golden” is performed by EJAE, a renowned artist and singer in the music industry, and is part of the soundtrack for the animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters.
The feature film combines:
K-pop culture animation narration inspired by the idol industry. The song accompanies a key moment in the film and quickly made an impression on viewers with its emotion, vocal power, and structure very similar to modern K-pop standards.
🏆 A historic award at the 2026 Golden Globes
At the ceremony held on January 11, 2026, "Golden" won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song, beating out several major Hollywood productions.
👉 This is the first time that a song from a project heavily inspired by K-pop has received such an award at this level.
In his speech, EJAE mentioned:
the difficulties encountered at the beginning of his career
the time required before being recognized
the importance of believing in unconventional projects
🌍 Why this win is important for K-pop
This award marks a turning point on several levels:
✔️ Institutional recognition of K-pop aesthetics at a major Western ceremony
✔️ Artistic validation of a project combining animation, Korean pop culture, and music
✔️ Opening up to more collaborations between K-pop, cinema, and streaming platforms
Even though "Golden" is not performed by a classic idol group, its musical DNA remains very close to K-pop codes, which explains the enthusiasm of a large part of the community.
🎬 K-Pop Demon Hunters: Success Beyond Music
The film K-Pop Demon Hunters also received recognition during this awards season, notably for:
its artistic direction its originality its ability to make K-pop culture accessible to a global audience
This success confirms that K-pop is no longer limited to albums and concerts, but is becoming a narrative universe in its own right.
📌 Key points to remember
🏆 “Golden” wins the 2026 Golden Globe for Best Original Song
🎶 The song is from the movie K-Pop Demon Hunters.
🌍 This is a historic first for a work related to the world of K-pop.
🎬 The film and its soundtrack are enjoying international success.
💬 What about you?
Do you think that these types of hybrid projects (animation, cinema, K-pop) represent the future of K-culture internationally?
Tell us in the comments 👇