Entertainment News

'Golden' becomes the first K-pop song to win an Oscar as 'KPop Demon Hunters' wins two

KPop Demon Hunters won two Oscars at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 15: best animated feature and best original song for “Golden”. The Business Standard (TBS News) reports that “Golden” is the first K-pop song to win the original song Oscar, and that its songwriters EJAE, Ido and Teddy Park are the first South Korean winners in the category.

Co-director Maggie Kang, who is Korean Canadian, accepted the animation award with Chris Appelhans and Michelle L.M. Wong, according to Korea JoongAng Daily.

“This is for Korea and for Koreans everywhere.” — Maggie Kang, via Korea JoongAng Daily

The paper says the night also featured the first K-pop performance in Oscars history: EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami performed “Golden” with buk drumming and hanbok.

How each outlet framed it

• Korea JoongAng Daily — the full awards haul and chart records, including eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the film's place as Netflix's most-watched title.
• The Business Standard — the rivals “Golden” beat, including songs from Sinners and Train Dreams, and Diane Warren's 17th nomination without a win.
• The Korea Times — the road to the night, after a Grammy for best song written for visual media, “a first for a K-pop song by Korean composers”.

Where the accounts differ: Korea JoongAng Daily quotes Kang as saying “for Koreans everywhere”, while The Business Standard has “for Korea and Koreans everywhere”. The Business Standard also reports that Mark Sonnenblick's remarks were cut short.