Netflix's animated hit 'KPop Demon Hunters' claimed major wins at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, securing Best Motion Picture – Animated and Best Original Song for 'Golden.' Korean stars like BLACKPINK's Lisa and director Park Chan-wook attended, highlighting the growing global reach of Korean entertainment.
The 83rd Golden Globe Awards took place on January 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, honoring achievements in film and television. Netflix's 'KPop Demon Hunters' emerged as a standout winner, claiming Best Motion Picture – Animated and Best Original Song – Motion Picture for 'Golden.' Directors Maggie Kang, a Korean Canadian, and Chris Appelhans, along with producer Michelle Wong, accepted the animated film award. Kang noted, 'Through this film we really wanted to depict female characters the way that we know women, which is really strong and bold, really silly and weird and really hungry for food, and sometimes a little thirsty.' Appelhans described the project as 'a love letter to music and the power it has to connect us, to make us see some kind of shared humanity.'
Released in June 2025, 'KPop Demon Hunters' has amassed over 500 million views on Netflix by December 2025. The story follows the K-pop girl group Huntrix—Rumi, Mira, and Zoey—who balance stardom with demon-hunting against a rival boy band of demons. The song 'Golden' featured voices by Audrey Nuna, EJAE, and Rei Ami as Huntrix, with credits to composers including EJAE. She shared, 'When I was a little girl, I worked tirelessly for 10 years to fulfill one dream, to become a K-pop idol. And I was rejected... Now I'm here as a singer and a songwriter. It's a dream come true... Rejection is redirection. So never give up.' It beat entries like Miley Cyrus's 'Dream as One' from 'Avatar: Fire and Ash.'
Korean representation was strong, with BLACKPINK's Lisa presenting in a sheer black gown that went viral, following her acting debut in HBO's 'The White Lotus' Season 3, a top nominee. Seventeen's Joshua Hong, director Park Chan-wook, and actor Lee Byung-hun attended; the latter was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for Park's 'No Other Choice,' which also contended in Non-English Language Film but did not win. The event underscored Korean culture's rising influence in Hollywood.
