Oscars Address Time Constraints Following Lee Jae’s Acceptance Speech Interruption

The Academy Awards has responded to criticism regarding the interruption of acceptance speeches at the 98th Academy Awards, specifically addressing concerns raised after singer-songwriter Lee Jae’s speech was cut short while accepting the award for Best Original Song.

Rob Mills, senior vice president of Disney Television, who oversaw the broadcast, explained that time limitations are in place for all winners. “There is a limit to the speaking time for all winners, and if this is exceeded, the speaking time may inevitably be interrupted during the broadcast,” Mills stated in an interview with Variety [https://variety.com/]. He added that the Academy is exploring solutions, including designating a representative speaker or providing a platform for remaining remarks backstage or via social media.

“We’re trying to keep all possibilities open and try to figure out what the most elegant solution is, because it’s really hard to cut off someone’s voice, especially when it’s a one-time moment for them,” Mills continued. “It’s not an easy problem. I don’t know what the best solution is, but it’s definitely something that we have to think about very carefully.”

The controversy arose when Lee Jae, after winning the Best Original Song award for “Golden” from the Netflix animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters, began to thank co-winners but was cut off by music signaling the end of his speech. Host Ahn Hyun-mo acknowledged the time constraints, stating, “There are so many winners…” and expressing regret that the acceptance speech for the short film award had similarly run long.

Some observers raised concerns that the interruptions were racially motivated, but the Academy’s response focuses on the logistical challenges of managing broadcast time.

‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ Dominates the Oscars

K-Pop Demon Hunters enjoyed a successful night at the 98th Academy Awards, winning both Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “Golden.” Lee Jae co-wrote and co-composed “Golden” with Mark Sonnenblick, Kwak Jung-gyu and Lee Yu-han. The film has garnered significant attention, drawing over 300 million views on Netflix since its release last June [https://www.ajupress.com/view/20260316112170557], and “Golden” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100.

President Lee Jae Myung also congratulated the film’s team, expressing hope that its success would further promote Korean culture globally [https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2026-03-16/national/politics/President-Lee-congratulates-Netflixs-KPop-Demon-Hunters-on-winning-Oscars/2545983].