K-pop Reaches Grammy Milestone as Animated Film Song Wins Historic Award

By Rosemary

South Korea erupted in celebration Monday after “Golden,” a breakout song from the Netflix animated feature KPop Demon Hunters, won a Grammy Award, marking what many are calling the first Grammy victory associated with K-pop. The win, for best song for visual media, was widely seen by fans and industry observers as a landmark moment that underscores the genre’s growing global influence and its increasing acceptance within the American music mainstream.

The award capped a night of rare and prominent visibility for K-pop at the Grammys, a ceremony that has often been criticized for overlooking the genre despite its vast international popularity and highly devoted fan base. For years, K-pop artists have dominated global charts, sold out stadium tours and built massive online communities, yet Grammy recognition has remained elusive.

That dynamic appeared to shift this year. Rosé of Blackpink, one of the most internationally recognized K-pop groups, took the Grammy stage alongside Bruno Mars to perform their chart-topping collaboration “APT.,” which had been nominated for song of the year. Meanwhile, Katseye, a multinational girl group formed through a partnership between South Korea’s HYBE and U.S.-based Geffen Records, earned two nominations, including best new artist, for their track “Gabriela.” Together, the appearances and nominations signaled a growing comfort within the Recording Academy with K-pop and K-pop-adjacent acts.

Industry analysts say the moment reflects a broader shift in how American entertainment institutions view K-pop, particularly as they struggle to connect with younger audiences. Major U.S. studios and record labels have increasingly taken notice of K-pop’s viral power on social media and short-form video platforms, where choreography clips, fan edits and behind-the-scenes content regularly rack up millions of views. That momentum has helped fuel cross-cultural collaborations like Rosé’s duet with Mars, as well as ambitious projects such as Katseye and KPop Demon Hunters.

Music critic Lim Hee-yun said the Grammy win for “Golden,” which was also nominated for song of the year, could strengthen K-pop’s foothold in the American market and improve the genre’s chances in future award seasons. At the same time, the victory has sparked debate over how K-pop should be defined.

“Golden” is an English-language pop track featured in a Sony Pictures Animation film and distributed globally by Netflix. Some critics argue that its production style aligns more closely with mainstream American pop than with traditional K-pop idol music. Even so, the song’s success resonated deeply in South Korea, where KPop Demon Hunters has become a cultural phenomenon.

The film inspired themed instant ramen products, merchandise and a surge in tourism to locations featured in the story, including Seoul’s historic fortress walls. Many South Koreans embraced the project as a distinctly Korean narrative presented on a global stage.

“It feels unreal,” said Kim Na-young, a 50-year-old fan who said she watched the movie at least five times. “Sony made it and Netflix released it, but the film was definitely about Korea.”

Released last June, KPop Demon Hunters follows the fictional girl group HUNTR/X, whose three members balance chart-topping pop careers with secret lives as demon hunters protecting the human world. The film went on to become Netflix’s most-watched release ever, with songs such as “Golden” and “Soda Pop” climbing international music charts. The characters also became popular Halloween costume choices in the United States, while the singers behind HUNTR/X — Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami — gained substantial followings of their own.

At the Grammys’ Premiere Ceremony, the songwriters behind “Golden” delivered their acceptance speech in both English and Korean, a gesture that many viewers saw as symbolizing the song’s cross-cultural reach.

For many in South Korea, the Grammy win echoed earlier milestones in the country’s cultural rise, including Bong Joon Ho’s historic Oscar win in 2020 for Parasite.

“When Parasite won, it felt like South Korean culture had truly entered the global mainstream,” said Park Jeong-eon, 48. “The Grammy win takes that recognition even further.” She recalled traveling abroad in the early 2000s, when South Korea was often unfamiliar to people she met.

Others highlighted the personal resonance behind the music. Seo Ga-yeon, a university student who studies K-pop, said she felt a strong emotional connection to Ejae, the lead vocalist of “Golden,” who previously struggled as a K-pop trainee in South Korea before establishing her career in the United States.

“I think it was her outstanding vocal performance, overflowing with emotion, almost like a cry about her own life, that made ‘Golden’ so powerful,” Seo said.

South Korea’s governing Democratic Party described the Grammy win as a historically significant moment, saying K-pop had finally broken through what many fans viewed as a long-standing barrier at the awards.

Still, not everyone agrees that the victory should be counted as K-pop’s definitive Grammy breakthrough. Some analysts note that major acts such as BTS have yet to win a Grammy despite multiple nominations.

“The film used K-pop as its inspiration and helped bring it to global attention, but there is still some distance between ‘Golden’ and what people traditionally define as K-pop,” said music critic Jinmo Lim. He characterized the award as recognition of K-pop’s expanding international influence rather than a clear-cut win for the genre itself.

Lim Hee-yun echoed that assessment, noting that “Golden” resembles American pop styles associated with artists like Katy Perry or early Lady Gaga more than a typical K-pop idol track. Unlike most K-pop songs, which feature multiple members rotating vocal lines, “Golden” is driven almost entirely by a single lead singer.

Even so, he said, the film has played a crucial role in broadening awareness of K-pop’s world and aesthetics. “For people who only knew BTS or Blackpink, KPop Demon Hunters opened a door,” Lim said. “It sparked curiosity about K-pop and even interest in traveling to South Korea. Because of this, K-pop groups are likely to receive far more attention in the future than they would have without the film.”