KPop Demon Hunters is starting this year’s awards season off strong with two wins at the Critics’ Choice Awards. Netflix’s most-watched film of all time took home the titles of Best Animated Feature and Best Song for its track, “Golden.”
EJAE, the singing voice of main character Rumi, and “Golden” co-writer Mark Sonnenblick walked the stage to accept the award for Best Song. “When writing this song, I found myself living vicariously through my character Rumi,” said EJAE. “The song needed to be an expression of hope to convince herself that she could write and reach for her dreams. In many ways, it did the same for me, but most importantly, for it to be giving hope to so many people around the world is truly the greatest honor.”
KPop Demon Hunters has held global pop culture in a tight chokehold ever since it began streaming on Netflix last June. The animated hit has garnered more than 541 million hours viewed worldwide, and its soundtrack spent several weeks in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200. “Golden,” having spent five weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, is the longest-running top song by an animated act in the chart’s history.
The animated film is also predicted to make waves at this year’s Academy Awards, having been shortlisted as one of the 35 films eligible for the Animated Feature Film category. “Golden” has also been shortlisted for the Original Song category. If its Critics’ Choice wins are any indication, KPop Demon Hunters is shaping up to be a major awards season contender.
