K-pop Demon Hunters big winner at Golden Globes

Kim Eun-jae (center) with fellow Demon Hunter voices Audrey Nuna, left,  and Rei Ami
at the Golden Globes awards on Jan. 11.

There were not a whole lot of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders receiving a Golden Globe at the awards ceremonies Sunday. That alone should say a lot about the state of "representation" in Hollywood.

However, the few AANHPI winners made sure that the rest of the movie industry  audience was reminded about the lack opportunities for AANHPI actors, writers and producers.

The 2026 Golden Globes gave us some truly powerful moments from Asian American winners, focusing on themes like resilience, turning rejection into redirection, and being totally vulnerable. 

AANHPI presence was in the form of the animated film, K-pop Demon Hunters, which won Best Animated Feature and the film's signature song, "Golden," which won Best Original Song. The song was a major global hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

        RELATED: Golden Globe's AANHPI nominees

Lead singer-songwriter EJAE (Kim Eun-jae), who also voices the character Rumi in K-pop Demon Hunters, delivered an emotional speech alongside co-writers Mark Sonnenblick and Lee Hee-joon.

EJAE shared her personal struggle of training for 10 years at SM Entertainment only to be rejected. She stated, "I was rejected and disappointed that my voice wasn’t good enough... I can confidently say rejection is redirection."

She dedicated the award to those who were told they weren't good enough, noting it is a "dream come true to be part of a song that's helping other girls... get through their hardships and accept themselves."

She concluded, “I just want to say this award goes to people who’ve had their doors closed at them and that I can confidently say rejection is redirection. So never give up.”

EJAE closed by expressing joy that "Golden" helps others get through hardship and accept themselves, quoting its lyrics: "It's never too late to shine like you were born to be." 

Producer Mark Sonnenblick thanked the studios for believing in the film and noted it had been an "amazing year for musical storytelling in movies."

The animated film's co-drector, Maggie Kang, made history as the first Asian woman to win Best Animated Feature, emphasized the film's cultural roots and representation, stating, "This is for everyone who believed that a movie so deeply rooted in Korean culture could resonate with a global audience". She added that they wanted to depict female characters as "really strong and bold... really silly and weird" just like real women.

Director Chloé Zhao took home the biggest film award for Hamnet (which also won Best Motion Picture – Drama). Looking genuinely surprised, she quoted her lead actor about the importance of artists embracing vulnerability and seeing one another. She closed her speech with a powerful call to action: "Let's keep our hearts open, let's keep seeing each other, and allowing ourselves to be seen."

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge.