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EJAE (center) accepts the Golden Globe for her song 'Golden' from KPop Demon Hunters. Screenshot from the Golden Globes YouTube channel

Article (news)

Jaehwa Bernardo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1768191064256photo_2026-01-12_12-10-55.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="EJAE (center) accepts the Golden Globe for her song &#x27;Golden&#x27; from KPop Demon Hunters. Screenshot from the Golden Globes YouTube channel"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">EJAE (center) accepts the Golden Globe for her song &#x27;Golden&#x27; from KPop Demon Hunters. <em>Screenshot from the Golden Globes YouTube channel</em></span></span></span></div><p>Singer-songwriter EJAE, who shot to fame as the voice behind the lead character in the hit film &quot;KPop Demon Hunters,&quot; capped a milestone moment with an inspiring acceptance speech after her song &quot;Golden&quot; won at the Golden Globes on Monday.</p><p>&quot;Golden&quot; took home Best Original Song, Motion Picture, at the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2026/1/12/timothee-chalamet-one-battle-after-another-among-winners-at-golden-globes-1110"><strong>awards show</strong></a>, marking one of two wins for Netflix&#x27;s animated feature centered on a trio of demon-fighting K-pop stars.</p><p>During her acceptance speech, a teary-eyed EJAE reflected on being rejected from debuting in the K-pop industry.</p><p>&quot;When I was a little girl, I worked tirelessly for 10 years to fulfill one dream -- to become a K-pop idol. And I was rejected and disappointed that my voice wasn&#x27;t good enough,&quot; said the 34-year-old singer, whose real name is Kim Eun-jae.</p><p>&quot;So I had leaned on songs and music to get through it so now I&#x27;m here as a singer and a songwriter,&quot; she said.</p><p>EJAE said it was &quot;a dream come true to be part of a song that is helping other girls, other boys and everyone from all ages to get through their hardship and to accept themselves.&quot;</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TEjd00f3ats?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>&quot;So, thank you Golden Globes for accepting my voice and our voice,&quot; she added, before thanking her family, fiancé, fellow songwriters from the film, the songwriters and producers from South Korean company The Black Label, and co-directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans.</p><p>EJAE dedicated her award &quot;to people who&#x27;ve had doors closed at them.&quot;</p><p>&quot;I can confidently say rejection is redirection. So never give up and it&#x27;s never too late to shine like you&#x27;re born to be,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;KPop Demon Hunters&quot; also took home Best Animated Motion Picture.</p><p>Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna, who also provided the singing voices for the film&#x27;s other lead characters, were present at the ceremony and were seen applauding EJAE as she delivered her speech.</p><p>EJAE was among the songwriters behind &quot;KPop Demon Hunters,&quot; co-writing tracks including &quot;Golden,&quot; which topped the Billboard Hot 100 following the film&#x27;s June 2025 release.</p><p>She was formerly a trainee at SM Entertainment, one of South Korea’s biggest record labels, but did not make her debut. She later became a songwriter, penning hits for top K-pop acts such as Red Velvet, TWICE and aespa.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/music/2025/8/15/before-rumi-5-k-pop-singles-penned-by-ejae-of-kpop-demon-hunters-0630"><strong>Before Rumi: 5 K-pop singles penned by Ejae of ‘KPop Demon Hunters’</strong></a></div><p><strong></strong>The K-pop industry operates on a fiercely competitive training system, with aspiring artists often beginning years of training in singing and dancing at a young age, and not everyone makes the cut.</p><div><strong>FROM THE ARCHIVES</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-i5w0u4U0iM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><strong></strong><br/></div>

<p>Singer-songwriter EJAE, who shot to fame as the voice behind the lead character in the hit film 'KPop Demon Hunters,' capped a milestone moment with an inspiring acceptance speech after her song 'Golden' won at the Golden Globes.</p>

Singer-songwriter EJAE, who shot to fame as the voice behind the lead character in the hit film 'KPop Demon Hunters,' capped a milestone moment with an inspiring acceptance speech after her song 'Golden' won at the Golden Globes.

‘KPop Demon Hunters’ star EJAE delivers inspiring message after Golden Globe win

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‘KPop Demon Hunters’ star EJAE delivers inspiring message after Golden Globe win

Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 12, 2026 01:00 PM PHT

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Updated January 12, 2026 01:03 PM PHT

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KPop Demon Hunters

EJAE

Golden

K-pop

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