KPop Demon Hunters’ “Golden” Wins First Grammy for Visual Media Song

The original soundtrack “Golden” from Netflix’s animated film KPop Demon Hunters has officially earned its first Grammy, marking a major breakthrough for K-pop–inspired music on one of the biggest stages in the U.S. industry.

At the Premiere Ceremony of the 68th Grammy Awards on February 1 (local time) in Los Angeles, “Golden” won Best Song Written for Visual Media, an award that honors standout songwriting for film and television.

A songwriter-first Grammy win

Unlike performance-driven categories, Best Song Written for Visual Media is a songwriting award, often recognizing the year’s most impactful soundtrack work. “Golden” shines a spotlight on its creative team, including EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick, with additional contributions from 24 and IDO (Lee Yoo-han, Kwak Jung-kyu, and Nam Hee-dong).

While Korean and Korean-American professionals have previously won Grammys—especially in engineering-related roles—this win is notable for elevating K-pop-focused composers and producers in a major songwriting category.

What the “Premiere Ceremony” is

The Grammy Premiere Ceremony happens ahead of the televised broadcast and typically covers a large portion of the awards. This year, roughly 80 trophies were presented there out of 94 total categories, while the main show focuses on the most widely watched “General Field” awards—such as Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist—along with select top genre wins.

A dedication to Teddy

During the acceptance speech, 24 dedicated the award to Teddy, calling him a pioneer in K-pop and thanking him as a mentor who supported the team throughout the journey.

K-pop’s growing Grammy footprint

K-pop’s presence at this year’s Grammys has drawn attention since nominations were revealed. “Golden” is also in the race for Song of the Year, alongside BLACKPINK BLACKPINK K-POP GROUP BLACKPINK is one of the most influential K-pop girl groups in the world, known for their powerful performances, global chart success, and distinctive blend of pop, hip-hop, EDM, and rap. Formed by YG Entertainment, the g ’s Rosé with “APT.” In addition, the K-pop collaboration group Cats Eye received a nomination for Best New Artist.

In Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, a category that included multiple K-pop-related entries, the trophy ultimately went to Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande for “Defying Gravity” from the Wicked soundtrack—proof that Wicked can still belt its way past just about anything… demons included.