Netflix film "K-pop Demon Hunters" won two Oscars at the Academy Awards, taking home best animated feature and best original song, delivering a resonance to all fans of the K brand and Koreans.
The 98th Academy Awards took place at 8 a.m. on the 16th (7 p.m. on the 15th local time) at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Among them, "K-pop Demon Hunters" (abbreviated as Kedehun) became a two-time winner, taking best animated feature and best original song for the OST "Golden."
First, the nominees for best animated feature included strong contenders such as Arco, Elio, Little Amelie and Zootopia 2. Beating them all to claim the Oscar trophy was Kedehun director Maggie Kang. Maggie Kang choked up as she spoke about the emotion of receiving the award.
In particular, she said, "I thank the Academy and all the fans who have kept us here for so long. I'm sorry it took so long to make a story about someone who looks like me. This work is for Korea and Koreans around the world," expressing pride as a Korean American.
Next, a celebratory performance of "Golden" was staged. The "Golden" performance began with two pansori vocalists, followed by dancers in traditional hanbok who evoked the film's Hunt Rix for the first time and opened a "honmun" at the Dolby Theatre. Lee Jae, Audrey nuna, and Ray Amie, who performed vocals for Hunt Rix, sang "Golden" live.
Above all, the stage direction was dramatic. As the title "Golden" suggested, 24 dancers waving gold-colored flags filled the space behind Hunt Rix, while bright light sticks swung cheerfully in the opposite audience seats. It looked as if a K-pop concert had been moved into the venue.
Although "Golden" was widely expected to win best original song, the competition was fierce. Nominees included Diane Warren's "Dear Me" from Diane Never Die, "Train Dreams" by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner from The Train's Dream, "Sweet Dreams Of Joy" by Nicholas Peak from Viva Verdi!, "I Lied To You" from Sinners, and Kedehun's "Golden."
But without surprise, the Oscar trophy went to Kedehun's "Golden." Lee Jae, called to the stage, shed tears and, representing Hunt Rix as one of the song's composers, went up on stage. He said, "I am truly grateful to the Academy for this wonderful award. Growing up, people teased me for liking K. Now we are all singing songs with Korean lyrics. I'm really proud," he said.
In particular, Lee Jae said, "I realized this award is not about success but about resilience. I thank my team. Thank you for being by my side. I thank the Kedehun cast, producer Maggie King and Michelle Wong," giving the honor to others.
Not only Lee Jae but also IDO, 24, Teddy and Mark, who composed "Golden," appeared on stage together. However, the acceptance speeches were too short. After Lee Jae's remarks, music signaled the end of the speeches. As a result, with many awardees, it was regrettable that not all remarks could be conveyed.
"K-pop Demon Hunters" is a story about K-pop idol girl group Hunt Rix protecting the world from evil spirits. Released on Netflix in June last year, it surpassed 500 million cumulative global views. This was a surprising achievement as it ranked No. 1 on Netflix among films and even surpassed the series record set by Squid Game. In addition, "Golden" reached No. 1 on Billboard's main chart, the Hot 100, and eight Kedehun OST songs, including "Golden," swept the top ranks of the Billboard Hot 100, creating a syndrome.
Moreover, earlier Kedehun had won best animated feature at the Academy Awards that day. The win was all the more meaningful because Disney's popular animated series Zootopia 2 was among the nominees for best animated feature. With the addition of the best original song, Kedehun secured two Oscars that day.
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