“Golden”, performed by the fictional K-pop girl group HUNTR/X from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, has become the first-ever K-pop song to win at the Grammys.
The song took home the award for best song written for visual media at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, and was presented during the pre-telecast premiere ceremony.
Released as the lead single from the animated film, “Golden” quickly became the breakout success of the summer, winning awards at both the Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Awards.
KPop Demon Hunters follows popular K-pop girl group HUNTR/X, who lead a double life as hunters battling a rival boy band, the Saja Boys, who turn out to be demons. Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami provide the singing voices for the HUNTR/X’s members in the film.
Ejae is a South Korean songwriter who has worked with some of the biggest K-pop acts like EXO and Red Velvet, while Korean-American artists Nuna and Rei Ami have gained attention in the US for their genre-blending solo work and collaborations with artists like Jack Harlow and Aminé.
“Golden” was also nominated for song of the Year, best pop duo/group performance, and best remixed recording. The song is also nominated at the forthcoming Oscars for best original song.
“Growing up, people didn’t know where Korea was. Singing the Korean lyrics word by word, it means so much. I think this award is about that representation. Today’s about celebrating culture,” Ejae said later in the press room.
This win represents the end of a series of near-misses at the Grammys for the K-pop genre. BTS, who became the first K-pop act to receive a Grammy nomination in 2021 and have since been nominated several times, did not win in any of their categories.
However, this year’s edition has seen more K-pop nominations, with Blackpink’s Rosé garnering multiple nominations in major categories like record of the year and song of the year, as well as global group Katseye getting nominated for best new artist and best pop duo/group performance.
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Earlier last year, HUNTR/X’s songs made Billboard history, with becoming the first all-female trio to top the charts since Destiny’s Child. They are also the first all-female group associated with K-pop to top the Hot 100 with “Golden,” which is also the only second K-pop single ever to top the Official Singles Chart in the UK, following Psy’s “Gangnam Style” in 2012.
In October, Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami made their live television debut performing “Golden” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and followed up with live performances at the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and iHeartRadio’s Jingle Ball.
Since KPop Demon Hunters’ release in June, it has become Netflix’s most-watched animated film . After its premiere, it topped Netflix’s global movie charts for four consecutive days, steadily expanding its reach, beginning with 17 countries on the first day and climbing to 41 within just four days. While no official announcement has been made, industry publication Deadline has reported that a KPop Demon Hunters sequel is in the pipeline for a potential 2029 release.
