K-Pop Demon Hunters wins two Golden Globes

Director Maggie Kang (center) and key members of the production team for Netflix animated film “K-Pop Demon Hunters” celebrate after winning Best Animated Feature Film at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles on Jan. 11. / AFP·Yonhap News

Netflix animated feature K-Pop Demon Hunters, widely known in Korea as “Kedeheon,” claimed two major trophies at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, reinforcing expectations for strong showings at the upcoming Grammy and Academy Awards.

At the ceremony held Sunday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, K-Pop Demon Hunters won Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Song, outpacing high-profile competitors including Zootopia 2, Elio, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, Arco and Little Amélie.

Accepting the award for Best Animated Feature, director Maggie Kang thanked supporters for believing that “a film deeply rooted in Korean culture could resonate with audiences around the world.” She explained that the film aimed to portray female characters as they truly are — strong and confident, yet also quirky, humorous and vividly human.

The film’s original soundtrack song Golden also took home Best Original Song, defeating entries from Avatar: Fire and Ash, Sinners, Wicked: For Good and Train Dreams. The track had been considered a frontrunner even before the ceremony.

Singer-songwriter Lee Jae, who performed and co-wrote Golden, delivered an emotional acceptance speech, recounting how she spent a decade pursuing her dream of becoming an idol only to face repeated rejection. “I relied on music to survive that pain,” she said. She concluded by thanking her family in Korean, saying, “Mom, I love you,” drawing warm applause from the audience.

Although K-Pop Demon Hunters missed out on the box office achievement award, its two-win night has significantly raised expectations for recognition at the Grammy Awards next month and the Academy Awards in March.

Meanwhile, director Park Chan-wook’s film No Other Choice failed to secure awards despite nominations in multiple categories, including Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy and Best Actor for Lee Byung-hun.

First launched in 1944, the Golden Globe Awards remain one of Hollywood’s most influential ceremonies and are widely viewed as a bellwether for the Academy Awards, despite undergoing major structural reforms following controversy in recent years.

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