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The 2026 Oscar nominations have arrived and it's already making headlines. The two biggest is Sinners becoming the most-nominated film in the history of the award show with 16 nods; and "Golden," the behemoth hit from the unlikely animated hit KPOP Demon Hunters becoming the first K-pop song ever nominated for Best Original Song.
Co-written by South Korean-American singer-songwriter Ejae, who also voices the character Rumi in the film, and Mark Sonnenblick, this song marks the first Oscar nomination for both musicians. Other nominees in the category include "Dear Me" from Diane Warren: Relentless, "I Lied to You" from Sinners, "Sweet Dreams of Joy" from Viva Verdi!, and "Train Dreams" from Train Dreams.
"Golden" has had a historic run this award season with history-making nominations at the 2025 VMAs, Golden Globes, Critic Choice Awards, Satellite Awards, as well as several other indie and music award bodies. The song won the 2026 Golden Globe for Best Original Song, a sign that to many industry insiders strongly indicates an Oscar win come March.
That would be the icing on the cake for the song which began as one of 2025's biggest global commercial phenomenons hitting No. 1 on the Billboard 100 and spending 30 weeks on the chart. The track also topped numerous charts around the world including in South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Canada, and dozens more.