Chris Appelhans and Maggie Kang, the co-directors of “KPop Demon Hunters,” stand alongside producer Michelle Wong after profitable the Golden Globe for greatest animated characteristic on the 83rd Golden Globes, held on the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, CA, on Dec. 12, 2025. (AP/Yonhap)
“KPop Demon Hunters,” Netflix’s greatest animated movie of 2025, directed by Korean American Maggie Kang, clinched two wins on the 83rd Golden Globes, taking house the trophies for greatest animated movie and greatest unique music.
The movie bested fierce competitors within the animated movie class — “Demon Slayer: Infinity Citadel,” “Zootopia 2,” “Elio,” “Arco” and “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain” — to nab the coveted golden trophy at Sunday’s awards, which have been hosted on the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.
“Properly, they weren’t kidding. That is heavy,” Kang’s voice trembled as she held the trophy earlier than starting her acceptance speech in earnest. “Thanks to the Golden Globes and for everybody who believed {that a} film so deeply rooted in Korean tradition might resonate with a world viewers.”
“By this movie, we actually needed to depict feminine characters the best way that we all know girls, which is absolutely sturdy and daring, actually foolish and bizarre, and actually hungry for meals — and generally just a little thirsty,” she stated, eliciting fun from the viewers.
Beating out its greatest competitors, “Zootopia 2” and “Demon Slayer: Infinity Citadel,” on the Golden Globes, “KPop Demon Hunters” appears to be on the trail to cementing a win on the Academy Awards in March.
Earlier within the night, “Golden,” from the movie’s soundtrack, additionally snatched the Golden Globe for greatest unique music. Ejae, the co-writer and vocalist who supplied the singing voice of Rumi, the protagonist of the movie, gave her acceptance speech with tears in her eyes.
“Once I was just a little lady, I labored tirelessly for 10 years to meet one dream: to change into a Ok-pop idol. And I used to be rejected and disenchanted that my voice wasn’t ok. So, I leaned on songs and music to get by way of it — and now I’m right here as a singer and a songwriter,” she shared.
“I can confidently say rejection is redirection. So by no means quit, and it’s by no means too late to shine such as you have been born to be,” the singer stated.
Her speech additionally included a second during which she expressed her like to her mom in Korean.
Audrey Nuna (left), Ejae (middle), and Rei Ami (proper) pose with their trophies after profitable the very best unique music award for “Golden” on the 83rd Golden Globes, held on the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, CA, on Dec. 12, 2025. (AP/Yonhap)
In September 2025, “KPop Demon Hunters,” which was launched in June of that yr, grew to become the primary Netflix title — movie or TV sequence — to surpass 300 million cumulative views. “Golden,” the hit monitor that boosted the movie’s recognition, broke information to change into the primary music from an animated movie to spend essentially the most time at No. 1 on the US Billboard Scorching 100 essential singles chart after spending eight weeks on the prime.
The excitement that the movie has created internationally has unfold to heightened curiosity in Korean conventional tradition, which performs a key half within the story, resulting in a surge in guests to the Nationwide Museum of Korea and opening rushes to the museum’s official merchandise retailer.
Director Park Chan-wook’s “No Different Selection” was nominated for 3 classes — greatest musical or comedy movement image, greatest worldwide characteristic, and greatest male actor in a musical or comedy — however left the ceremony empty-handed.
This was not the primary time that Korea was represented on the Golden Globes. Bong Joon-ho received the very best worldwide characteristic prize for “Parasite” in 2020, and O Yeong-su received greatest supporting actor in a sequence, miniseries, or movement image for the primary season of “Squid Sport” in 2022. “Minari,” a movie directed by one other Korean American director, Lee Isaac Chung, received the Golden Globe Award for greatest international language movie in 2021.
By Kim Eun-hyoung, senior employees author; Kim Min-je, employees reporter
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