Bold claim: the standout track from Netflix’s animated hit Kpop Demon Hunters, titled “Golden,” is lighting up the awards scene with a Golden Globes nomination for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture. The track shares the spotlight with big-name contenders like Miley Cyrus’ “Dream as One” from Avatar: Fire and Ash, two fresh numbers from Wicked — “I Lied to You” and “For Good” — and “Train Dreams” from another feature.
EJAE, who also goes by Kim Eun-jae, describes the nomination as “crazy” and “surreal,” marveling at how the momentum seems to snowball each day. Sonnenblick echoes the sentiment, calling it an honor not just for the song but for the collaborative effort that brought together filmmakers and musicians from across the project. Seeing their work listed among culturally impactful films this year is, as they put it, a pretty special moment.
EJAE highlights the film’s Korean setting as a meaningful bridge to audiences unfamiliar with the culture. She views the project as a compact, 90-minute introduction to Korea’s food, music, fan culture, and friendships — a point of pride that the first animated feature rooted in Korea is garnering such affection. She also recalls the childhood experience of kimchi teasing in American lunchboxes, noting how times have shifted as kids from diverse backgrounds now want to dress up as Korean characters for Halloween. That transformation—from pressing conformity to celebrating culture—feels especially poignant to her.
Sonnenblick adds that animation provided a perfect vehicle for the song’s storytelling. He describes arriving with a story and visual designs that already existed, then witnessing a seamless collaboration with artists and designers whose work fuels the film’s emotional arc. “Golden” ended up being the final song written for the project and appears in one of the film’s concluding sequences. He explains that animation offers unique storytelling tools, enabling visuals and music to convey character depth in ways live action can emulate but not quite replicate.
Beyond “Golden,” Kpop Demon Hunters is also in the running for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, in addition to Best Animated Feature.
This development seeds a broader conversation about how inclusive storytelling and cross-cultural collaboration can reshape perceptions of a national cinema identity. Do you think animated films set in specific cultures have a greater responsibility to portray those cultures authentically, or should artistic freedom and fantasy take precedence? Share your thoughts in the comments.
