Huntr/x’s Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami have won Best Original Song for “Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters at the 2026 Academy Awards. It was their first-ever nomination and Oscar win. It triumphed in a playing field that included songs from Sinners, Train Dreams, Viva Verdi!, and Diane Warren: Relentless.
Presenting the Academy Award was Lionel Richie. The songwriting team behind “Golden” accepted the trophy together, but Ejae took to the microphone first to thank the Academy, her family, and the entire creative team behind Kpop Demon Hunters. “Growing up, people made fun of me for liking K-pop,” she said. “Now everyone is singing our song, and in all of the Korean lyrics. I’m so proud. I realize this award is not about success; it’s about resilience.” Watch her full speech below.
The other nominees in the category this year were Diane Warren’s “Dear Me” (from Diane Warren: Relentless); Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson’s “I Lied to You” (from Sinners); Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner’s “Train Dreams” (from Train Dreams); and Nicholas Pike’s “Sweet Dreams of Joy” (from Viva Verdi!).
Earlier in the evening, all three members of Huntr/x—Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami—performed “Golden” live onstage at the Oscars. Behind them, rows of dancers waved huge golden flags behind them on risers.
In 2025, Best Original Song went to Clément Ducol, Camille, and Jacques Audiard for the song “El Mal” from the Spanish-language French musical crime film Emilia Perez. They received the trophy from the Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger, who was the designated presenter.
Follow along with all of Pitchfork’s coverage of the 2026 Academy Awards.
