“Golden,” the OST from Netflix’s K-pop-themed animated film KPop Demon Hunters, claimed the honor at the Grammy Awards. The win marks the realization of a long-held dream in the Korean music industry: recognition in the songwriter category at the Grammys.
At the Grammy Awards pre-ceremony held on February 1 (local time) in Los Angeles, “Golden” was announced as the winner of Best Song Written for Visual Media, an award that is presented specifically to songwriters.
The song was co-written by EJAE, Teddy, 24, and the producer team IDO (Lee Yoo-han, Kwak Joong-kyu, and Nam Hee-dong), all of whom officially became Grammy Award winners through this achievement.
While Korean music engineer Hwang Byung-joon and Korean-American Young-in have previously won Grammy Awards, this marks the very first time that a K-pop composer or music producer has received a Grammy, making the win especially meaningful.
Following the announcement, 24 shared his thoughts, saying, “Although he couldn’t be here with us today, I dedicate this honor to my greatest mentor and closest friend, pioneer of K-pop, Teddy, who has been with us throughout this entire journey.”
The success of “Golden” had long been anticipated. Shortly after the film’s release, the #GoldenChallenge on TikTok surpassed 1 billion views, while radio stations across the United States played the song around the clock—despite its lyrics including Korean lines.
As a result, the track made history by simultaneously topping the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Official Singles Chart, becoming the first K-pop song to achieve the feat. International media praised the phenomenon, commenting that “If Disney has ‘Let It Go,’ Netflix now has ‘Golden.’”
Meanwhile, the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category—where BLACKPINK Rosé’s “APT.” and KATSEYE’s “Gabriela” were nominated alongside “Golden”—ultimately went to Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande for “Defying Gravity” from the film Wicked.
Sources: Daum
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