Summary of this article
KPop Demon Hunters wins Best Animated Feature at the Oscars 2026.
Song Golden becomes the first K-pop Oscar winner for Best Original Song.
Acceptance speeches cut short during broadcast spark fan backlash.
The Netflix hit KPop Demon Hunters emerged as a major winner at the 2026 Oscars, securing two prestigious awards. The animated film won Best Animated Feature, while its track Golden also claimed the Best Original Song honour.
KPop Demon Hunters wins big, but speech cut-off sparks fan backlash
Despite the historic achievement, the celebratory moment quickly turned controversial when the film's acceptance speeches were cut short during the live broadcast.
KPop Demon Hunters had faced strong competition in the Best Animated Feature category, including Arco, Elio, Little Amélie, the Character of Rain, and Zootopia 2. The film’s music also drew attention in the Best Original Song category, where Golden competed against tracks such as I Lied To You from Sinners.
Acceptance speeches were interrupted on stage
Following the film’s Best Animated Feature victory, directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans took the stage alongside producer Michelle L.M. Wong to accept the award. However, while Kang was delivering her remarks, the ceremony’s play-off music began unexpectedly, signalling that the speech time had ended.
The interruption was widely criticised by viewers online. On the social media platform X, frustration was quickly expressed by several users.
“It was very disrespectful what they did to the producers of KPop Demon Hunters at the Oscars, let them give the speech… having said that, I’m glad they won,” was written by one viewer reacting to the moment.
Second cut-off sparks stronger reactions
The controversy resurfaced later in the ceremony when Golden won Best Original Song. Singer Ejae began an emotional acceptance speech, but the play-off music again started before other collaborators were able to speak.
The repeated interruption drew sharper criticism from viewers watching the broadcast.
“Oscar's habit of cutting people off while they’re speaking is so disrespectful and rude,” was stated by another social media user on X, where the incident quickly became a trending topic.
Golden team completes remarks after ceremony interruption
Songwriters behind KPop Demon Hunters’ Oscar-winning track Golden spoke to the media after their acceptance speech was cut short during the Oscars 2026 broadcast. In the press room at the Dolby Theatre, composer Yu-Han Lee completed the remarks that were interrupted on stage. Gratitude toward family members, collaborators and fellow IDO members was expressed, with the moment described as “an incredible honour”.
Co-composer Mark Sonnenblick also shared his reaction after the ceremony. Appreciation for the team behind the animated film was conveyed, including the animators and musicians who contributed to the project. It was also noted that the story of the film reflects the idea of learning to trust or even love someone who had once been feared.
Thanks were further extended to fans and to everyone involved in creating the film’s soundtrack. The success of the movie was described as the result of a collective effort, with Sonnenblick noting that many people had helped shape the project. The award for Best Original Song was shared by Yu-Han Lee, Mark Sonnenblick, Ejae, Joong Gyu Kwak, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Teddy Park, while Ejae had earlier delivered the only full speech during the televised ceremony.
Despite the backlash surrounding the broadcast, the win marked a historic milestone. Golden became the first K-pop song to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song. The track’s popularity has been linked to the global success of KPop Demon Hunters, which has also topped international music charts and previously won a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media.
The 98th Academy Awards ceremony was held on March 15.
