Grammys 2026: HUNTR/X's Golden makes history as it becomes first ever K-pop act to win

File Photo of Rei Ami, EJAE and Audrey Nuna, singing voices of the members of the HUNTR/X group in "KPop Demon Hunters. (Source: Reuters)

• HUNTR/X wins first Grammy for K-pop with "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters
• K-pop receives record Grammy nominations, marking increased global recognition
• Songwriters of Golden include Ejae, Park Hong Jun, Joong Gyu Kwak, and others

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After years of global dominance but limited recognition at Western award shows, K-pop has finally secured its long-awaited breakthrough at the Grammys. At the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, the Recording Academy awarded its first-ever Grammy win to a K-pop act, with HUNTR/X’s song Golden taking home Best Song Written for Visual Media during the untelevised portion of the ceremony.

In its 68th year, the Recording Academy appears to have turned a corner, acknowledging K-pop’s growing influence in mainstream global music.

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HUNTR/X’s historic Grammy was awarded to the songwriters behind Golden, including Ejae, Park Hong Jun, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Mark Sonnenblick. The track featured in Netflix’s hit animated film KPop Demon Hunters, which further boosted its global reach. While the project lost out in the Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media category to Sinners, the Grammy win itself cemented the film’s cultural impact.

On the red carpet, HUNTR/X members EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI reflected on the magnitude of the moment. “It’s a historic moment,” EJAE said in the official Grammy carpet live stream, adding that the award was particularly meaningful to her as a Korean American.

REI AMI used the moment to encourage young girls watching around the world, urging them to “dream bigger than you think you need to. Work hard and believe in yourself. That confidence will take you very far.”

Audrey Nuna echoed the sentiment, “Just be your truest self and claim all the parts of yourself, including the dark parts of yourself,” she said. “Just keep going.”

EJAE revealed that she wrote Golden on her way to a dentist appointment, even giving a playful shoutout to her dentist.

This year also saw K-pop receive its highest number of nominations to date. Alongside HUNTR/X, Rosé, a member of BLACKPINK, earned major nods for APT., her collaboration with Bruno Mars, while Katseye, a global girl group under BTS’ parent company HYBE, received nominations for Gabriela and Best New Artist. Collectively, the nominations signaled a shift in how the Grammys are beginning to engage with K-pop and K-pop-adjacent acts.