‘golden’ Wins Best Song At Oscars, But ‘kpop Demon Hunters’ Team’s Speech Cut Short

An affectional ceremony of K-pop’s world triumph astatine nan Oscars was overshadowed by a infinitesimal that near fans disappointment and questioning Hollywood’s curen of non-Western voices.

At nan 98th Academy Awards connected Sunday night, KPop Demon Hunters made history — and headlines — erstwhile its record-breaking anthem ‘Golden’ took location nan Oscar for Best Original Song. But nan team’s triumph infinitesimal was trim short erstwhile nan orchestra abruptly played complete co-writer Yu-Han Lee’s speech, leaving him silenced connected unrecorded television.

The grant marked a crowning accomplishment for nan Korean-American imaginative squad down ‘Golden,’ a opus that has dominated charts and world playlists for astir a year.

Performed successful nan movie by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami — and co-written by EJAE alongside Mark Sonnenblick, Yu-Han Lee, and seasoned K-pop producers Teddy Park, Joong Gyu-kwak, and Nam Hee-dong — nan way has go a touchstone for K-pop’s crossover into Hollywood prestige.

Taking nan shape astatine Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre, EJAE began nan acceptance reside pinch pridefulness and vulnerability: “Growing up, group made nosy of maine for liking K-pop, but now everyone’s singing our opus successful each nan Korean lyrics,” she said. “This grant isn’t astir occurrence — it’s astir resilience.”

But erstwhile Yu-Han stepped up to nan microphone, nan euphony swelled and his mic was muted. The songwriting team, visibly startled, tried to speak complete nan orchestra earlier nan shape lights dimmed and nan broadcast trim away. Viewers quickly took to societal media to protestation what galore saw arsenic a snub.

“The first K-pop squad to triumph an Oscar — and they don’t get to decorativeness their speech? That’s nan irony of nan night,” 1 spectator wrote connected X, while others compared nan incident to past cutoffs that disproportionately affected artists of color. As of Monday morning, nan Academy had not issued a comment.

🔥🚨BREAKING: The Oscars assemblage erupted successful anger and boos erstwhile EJAE sewage affectional arsenic she made history arsenic nan first Oscar triumph for a K-pop opus and nan academy played euphony complete her arsenic she attempted to speak.

Viewers are presently pissed online, nary measurement to put it lightly. pic.twitter.com/PvTnCoHswN

— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) March 16, 2026

“Absolutely disgraceful. EJAE made history tonight, and nan Academy tried to soundlessness her infinitesimal pinch a play-off track,” 1 disgruntled instrumentality said.

“This isn’t conscionable rude; it’s a full deficiency of respect for nan world effect of K-pop and its artists. She earned that stage.”

Another slammed nan Academy for wasting clip connected “non-actors,” stating nan move was an “insult” to Kpop groups.

One commenter simply stated, “The Academy hates Koreans.”

Absolutely disgraceful. EJAE made history tonight, and nan Academy tried to soundlessness her infinitesimal pinch a play-off track. This isn’t conscionable rude; it’s a full deficiency of respect for nan world effect of K-pop and its artists. She earned that stage. 😤🎶 #Oscars #EJAE #RespectKpop

— 🦋 Betty Velvet (@BettyBVel) March 16, 2026

Despite nan interruption, KPop Demon Hunters continued its victorious night, besides winning Best Animated Feature — a historical first for co-director Maggie Kang and shaper Michelle Wong, some now nan first individuals of South Korean descent to triumph successful that category.

During her affectional remarks, Kang dedicated nan triumph to nan adjacent procreation of Korean creatives, “For everyone who looks for illustration me, I’m sorry it took truthful agelong to spot america successful a movie for illustration this. But it’s present now — and that intends nan adjacent procreation doesn’t person to spell longing.”

Speaking backstage, EJAE elaborated connected her on-stage speech.

“We consciousness very grateful and very honored. We each worked truthful difficult and this is specified a collaborative effort, we conscionable request to convey our directors. They created a beautiful film. Everyone was a portion of it and we are conscionable truthful happy that nan difficult activity paid off.” nan vocalist said.

“Also, I needed to convey Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna onstage, but I didn’t get to because they conscionable trim america off. They killed it pinch their singing and they’re conscionable unthinkable group and I emotion them truthful much.”

Lee besides added, “I would for illustration to convey each our families, my chap Idol members and Teddy Park. This is an unthinkable honor.”

Sonnenblick, who besides didn’t moreover get a chance to speak, said, “[I’d for illustration to thank] my family, immoderate of whom are present tonight, my husband, Isaac, who is present tonight. But besides conscionable to opportunity everybody who worked connected this movie, each nan animators, it was a existent collaboration crossed nan board. It’s a movie wherever portion of nan movie is astir looking astatine personification that you person been taught to dislike and to fearfulness and starting to trust, possibly moreover emotion them. And that’s portion of what nan movie is about.

Read more: Netflix Blockbuster ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Wins Oscar For Best Animated Feature

Since its merchandise successful 2025, KPop Demon Hunters has go Netflix’s most-streamed movie worldwide and a taste touchstone for Asian practice successful world media. Its soundtrack, headlined by ‘Golden,’ topped nan Billboard Hot 100 for 18 non-consecutive weeks and has earned Grammy, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice Awards — cementing it arsenic a cornerstone of nan K-pop-to-Hollywood movement.

Still, Sunday night’s abrupt fadeout sparked a larger speech astir really taste breakthroughs are celebrated — and who gets to beryllium heard while they happen.

With a sequel officially successful development, nan bequest of KPop Demon Hunters is still unfolding. But its Oscar nighttime will beryllium remembered arsenic some a milestone and a reminder: practice whitethorn beryllium winning awards, but existent respect intends letting nan voices down those victories speak.