'K-Pop Demon Hunters' Wins Two Golden Globe Awards for Best Animation and Best Original Song

Korean-American director Maggie Kang's 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉 (hereafter 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉) won both the Best Animation and Best Original Song at the Golden Globe Awards in the United States, achieving a double victory.

⬦ Outperformed 〈Zootopia 2〉... Animation with Korean DNA Captivates the World

At the 83rd Golden Globe Awards held on the 11th (local time) at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉 took home the trophy for Best Animated Feature, beating out 〈Zootopia 2〉, 〈Elio〉, 〈Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle Arc〉, 〈Arco〉, and 〈Little Amelie〉.

Winning against Disney and Pixar's flagship works, 〈Zootopia 2〉 and 〈Elio〉, has raised expectations for its chances at the Academy Awards in March.

After stepping onto the podium, director Maggie Kang expressed her gratitude with an emotional voice, saying, "This is really heavy," and thanked everyone who believed that a film deeply rooted in Korean culture could resonate with audiences worldwide.

She added, "Through this film, we wanted to portray female characters as we know them, that is, really strong and confident, quirky or odd, craving food, and sometimes feeling thirsty," which received a big round of applause.

⬦ "Dream of Being an Idol Was Shattered..." Lee Jae, Tearful "Mom, I Love You"

The soundtrack of 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉, titled 'Golden', also won the honor of Best Original Song. It competed against 〈Avatar: The Way of Fire〉, 〈Sinners〉, 〈Wicked: For Good〉, and 〈Train Dreams〉, and as it had been mentioned as a strong contender beforehand, it won the trophy as expected.

Singer and songwriter Lee Jae, who took the stage as the winner of the Best Original Song, delivered her acceptance speech in tears.

Lee Jae said, "When I was a young girl, I worked tirelessly for 10 years to achieve my one dream of being an 'idol', but I was rejected and disappointed because my voice was not enough. So, to overcome that pain, I relied on singing and music, and now I stand here as a singer and songwriter."

She continued, "I became part of a song that helps other girls and boys, and everyone to overcome difficulties and accept themselves," and said, "My dream has become a reality."

Lee Jae also expressed her gratitude to her family and fiancé, shouting in Korean, "Mom, I love you," adding to the emotional moment.

⬦ Academy's Green Light... Lee Byung-hun and Park Chan-wook Face Disappointment

〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉 also won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song at the Critics' Choice Awards held on the 4th, achieving a double victory. This has positioned 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉 as a strong candidate for the upcoming Academy Awards in March.

Meanwhile, at this Golden Globe, 〈K-Pop Demon Hunters〉 was also nominated for the Cinematic and Box Office Achievement category, but that award went to 〈Sinners〉.

Director Park Chan-wook's 〈NO OTHER CHOICE〉 was nominated in three categories: Best Musical or Comedy Film, Best Actor (Lee Byung-hun), and Best Non-English Language Film, but did not win in any of those categories.

The Best Musical or Comedy Film award went to 〈One Battle After Another〉, the Best Actor award went to 〈Timothée Chalamet〉 for 〈Secret Agent〉.

The Golden Globe Awards, which began in 1944, is a major Hollywood awards ceremony that presents awards in the film and TV categories. The nominees and winners in all 28 categories are determined by the votes of over 300 journalists from the entertainment field worldwide, including the United States.

Looking back at the history of the Golden Globes, in 2020, director Bong Joon-ho's 〈Parasite〉 became the first Korean film to win the Best Foreign Language Film award, and in 2021, Korean-American director Lee Isaac Chung's 〈Minari〉 won in the same category. In 2022, Oh Young-soo from 〈Squid Game〉 Season 1 won the Best Supporting Actor award in the TV series category.