“Golden” Joins Elite Company: KPop Demon Hunters’ Hit Wins Oscar and Tops Billboard Hot 100

HUNTR/X’s “Golden,” from the animated film KPop Demon Hunters, has achieved a rare feat in music history: winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song and reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song’s victory at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, 2026, marks only the 18th time a song has accomplished both honors.

A Historic Win for KPop

“Golden” topped the Hot 100 for eight weeks in 2025, becoming the first K-pop song to win the Oscar for Best Original Song. The song is co-written and performed by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI, who voice the characters Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, respectively, in KPop Demon Hunters. The film too received a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 2026 Oscars.

Elite Company: Songs That Conquered Both Charts

Only two other Oscar-winning songs have logged eight or more weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100: Debby Boone’s “You Light Up My Life” (10 weeks in 1977) and Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” (12 weeks in 2002-2003). Here’s a look at all 18 songs that have topped both the Hot 100 and won an Oscar for Best Original Song, in chronological order:

• B.J. Thomas, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” (1970) – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
• Isaac Hayes, “Theme From Shaft” (1972) – Shaft
• Maureen McGovern, “The Morning After” (1973) – The Poseidon Adventure
• Barbra Streisand, “The Way We Were” (1974) – The Way We Were
• Barbra Streisand, “Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star Is Born)” (1977) – A Star Is Born
• Debby Boone, “You Light Up My Life” (1978) – You Light Up My Life
• Christopher Cross, “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” (1982) – Arthur
• Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes, “Up Where We Belong” (1983) – An Officer and a Gentleman
• Irene Cara, “Flashdance…What a Feeling” (1984) – Flashdance
• Stevie Wonder, “I Just Called to Say I Love You” (1985) – The Woman in Red
• Lionel Richie, “Say You, Say Me” (1986) – White Nights
• Berlin, “Take My Breath Away” (1987) – Top Gun
• Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” (1988) – Dirty Dancing
• Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle, “A Whole New World” (1993) – Aladdin
• Celine Dion, “My Heart Will Travel On” (1998) – Titanic
• Eminem, “Lose Yourself” (2003) – 8 Mile
• Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper, “Shallow” (2019) – A Star Is Born
• HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna & REI AMI, “Golden” (2026) – KPop Demon Hunters

Performance and Recognition

EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI performed “Golden” at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, 2026, captivating the audience, including celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Teyana Taylor, who waved lightsticks in time with the performance. The song’s lyrics, celebrating success and unity, resonated with the film’s message. During her acceptance speech, EJAE expressed her gratitude, noting the journey from being teased for her love of K-pop to having the song embraced globally.

The songwriters of “Golden” – EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Teddy Park – will share one Oscar statuette due to the Academy’s rule limiting the number of awards given per song.