KPop Demon Hunters was among the big winners at last night’s (March 15) Oscars – though their acceptance speech for Best Original Song was cut off, provoking anger from some fans online.
Alongside Best Animated Feature Film, the Netflix phenomenon also expectedly took home the song award for ‘Golden’, which made history as the first K-Pop song as well as the first tune with more than four writers to win.
“Growing up, people made fun of me for liking K-pop, but now everyone is singing our song and all the Korean lyrics,” co-writer EJAE of fictional band HUNTR/X said during an emotional acceptance speech. “This award is not about success. It’s about resilience.”
After thanking family members, the creatives on the film and Netflix, she then gently encouraged co-writer Yu Han Lee to make a speech, though he was rapidly cut off by music before he could say anything, leading the others to plead for more time to the camera, while audible boos could be heard from the audience.
Viewers have since taken to social media to express their frustration at the moment, with one writing on X: “Cutting off a historic moment like this is pure disrespect. The Academy needs to do better.”
“I’m sorry but this was so disrespectful to cut KPop Demon Hunters speech…,” another echoed, while a third wrote: “The oscar’s are rude af for this i’m sorry.”
“This pissed me off so so so much. So much. Not a good look for the Academy at all,” a fourth said, a fifth adding: “Using k pop demon hunters as hook to bring younger audiences and yet doing this. It was pure rudeness, and in both categories that the movie won. thats why even getting the ceremony to youtube wont help because they cannot grasp on what they fuck up every time, every year.”
Cutting off a historic moment like this is pure disrespect. The Academy needs to do better. EJAE deserved her moment.
— ismailyasar (@bayirliogluismo) March 16, 2026
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