K-Pop Star EJAE Reveals Cut Oscars Speech After Historic Best Original Song Win
K-Pop Demon Hunters star EJAE has disclosed the heartfelt words she intended to deliver before her Oscars acceptance speech was abruptly terminated by organisers during a historic victory. The South Korean singer, whose real name is Kim Eun-jae, made cinematic history on Sunday, 15 March 2026, when the hit track "Golden" from the Netflix film K-Pop Demon Hunters secured the award for Best Original Song at the 98th Academy Awards.
Historic Achievement for K-Pop Genre
This monumental win marks the first time a K-Pop song has ever claimed the Best Original Song prize in the Oscars' 96-year history, shattering barriers and celebrating global musical diversity. "Golden" emerged as a breakout sensation following the film's Netflix debut last year, soaring to the top of music charts in more than 30 countries worldwide. Eun-jae not only performs vocals on the track but also co-wrote it with a collaborative team including Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Name, Jeong Hoon Seo, and Teddy Park.
Emotional On-Stage Moment Cut Short
Upon taking the stage to accept the award, Eun-jae became visibly emotional as she expressed gratitude to the Academy. "Growing up, people made fun of me for liking K-pop, but now everyone is singing our song and all the Korean lyrics," she stated. "I'm so proud. I've realised the song and the award are not about success; they're about resilience. I'm just so grateful to our team." After thanking her family and the K-Pop Demon Hunters production team, she passed the microphone to co-writer Yu Han Lee.
However, as instrumental music began to play, signalling the winners to exit, both Sonnenblick and Eun-jae attempted to signal production to allow Lee to finish his speech. Despite their efforts, the programme abruptly transitioned to an advertisement break, cutting off the acceptance moment prematurely.
Backstage Revelations of Unspoken Thanks
Speaking to press backstage after the ceremony, Eun-jae revealed the additional acknowledgements the team had planned to share if given more time on the prestigious Oscars stage. According to Deadline, she explained, "We feel very grateful and very honoured. We all worked so hard, and this is such a collaborative effort; we just need to thank our directors. They created a beautiful film. Everyone was a part of it, and we are just so happy that the hard work paid off."
She continued, "Also, I needed to thank Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna onstage, but I didn't get to because they just cut us off. They killed it with their singing, and they're just incredible people, and I love them so much." Lee added that he would have expressed gratitude to all their families, his fellow Idol members, and Teddy Park, describing the honour as incredible.
Missed Opportunities for Collaborative Recognition
Mark Sonnenblick, who also missed his chance to speak, noted that he would have thanked his family, including his husband, who attended the ceremony. He emphasised, "But also just to say everybody who worked on this movie, all the animators, it was a real collaboration across the board. It's a movie where part of the film is about looking at someone that you have been taught to hate and to fear and starting to trust, maybe even love them. And that's part of what the movie is about."
Netflix Film's Dual Oscar Triumph
The Netflix animated feature K-Pop Demon Hunters follows the fictional K-Pop group Huntrix as they balance their music careers with secret roles as demon hunters. The film features speaking voices by Arden Cho, May Hong, and Ji-young Yoo, with singing performances by Eun-jae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami. In addition to the Best Original Song award, the film also secured the Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 2026 ceremony.
Korean-Canadian co-director Maggie Kang highlighted the cultural significance of the win, stating it is "for Korea and Koreans everywhere," underscoring the global impact of this groundbreaking achievement in entertainment.
