'Golden' from KPop Demon Hunters wins first Grammy for K-pop act

Hit animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" has earned K-pop its first-ever Grammy Award on Feb. 1 (U.S. time).

“Golden”, one of the standout tracks from the film’s soundtrack, took home the award for "Best Song Written for Visual Media".

The win was announced during the Grammy Premiere Ceremony, held ahead of the main awards show.

First for K-pop act

This marks the first Grammy Award win for a K-pop act.

The track also received other nominations, including song of the year and best pop duo/group performance.

The song of the year nomination is the first time a K-pop group’s song has been nominated in the category.

David Guetta’s remix of “Golden” was also nominated for best remixed recording, while "KPop Demon Hunters"' soundtrack received a nomination for best compilation soundtrack for visual media.

“Golden” spent a total of eight weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2025.

It was written and produced by a team of K-pop producers, including Ejae — who was also the singing voice of the character Rumi in the film — as well as famed producers from The Black Label.

K-pop making waves

While K-pop’s popularity has remained steadfast, its influence in Hollywood has continued to grow.

Rosé of K-pop girl group Blackpink received several nominations at the awards for her hit track "APT" with singer Bruno Mars.

She made history as the first K-pop artist to open the awards show and be nominated in general field categories such as song of the year and record of the year.

She and Mars were also nominated for best pop duo/group performance.

The success of "KPop Demon Hunters" has also sparked a new wave of interest in the genre, with sold-out “sing-along” screenings in countries such as the U.S. and Australia, as well as a surge in interest in Korean culture.

Top photos from ejae_k/Instagram