“KPop Demon Hunters” Oscar Win Marred As Yu-Han Lee Cut Off Mid-Speech for ‘Golden’ on Stage
- riya siddacharjee
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Viewers of the 98th Academy Awards were stunned when the KPop Demon Hunters team faced an abrupt onstage cut during their acceptance speech, sparking outrage over what many called a "heartless" moment. They were snubbed.
The KPop Demon Hunters songwriters won over competitors from 'Sinners', 'Train Dreams', 'Viva Verdi', and 'Diane Warren: Relentless'. The film also took home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, surpassing Zootopia 2, Elio, Arco, and Little Amélie or the Character of Rain.
Composers Reflect on Interrupted Speech
The songwriters behind the hit track "Golden" were interrupted mid-speech while accepting their Oscar at the 2026 ceremony, but were able to complete their remarks later in the press room at the Dolby Theatre.
Yu-Han Lee, whose part of the speech was cut short after only a few words, used the press room to express his gratitude fully. "I would like to thank our families, and 24, and our fellow IDO members," he said. "This is an incredible honor."
Co-composer Mark Sonnenblick echoed these sentiments, highlighting the collaborative nature of the film. "My family, some of them here tonight, my husband has a booster tonight", he said. "Everybody [who] worked on this movie, all the animators, it was a real collaboration across the board."
Sonnenblick added a deeper reflection on the film’s themes. "Part of the movie is about looking at someone that you had been taught to hate and to fear, and starting to trust, [or] maybe, you know, love them." He also thanked fans and everyone involved in the soundtrack. "A movie is like a village, and we're lucky to be up here right now, but there's so many people who have made this what it is. So thank you!"
The team shared the award with fellow songwriters Ejae, Joong Gyu-kwak, Hee Dong-nam, Jeong Hoon-seo, and Teddy Park. Ejae was the only member to deliver a full speech on live television: "Thank you to the Academy for this insane award," she said. "Growing up, people made fun of me for liking K-pop, but now everyone's singing our song and all the Korean lyrics. I'm so proud. And I realized, like the song, this award is not about success, it's about resilience, and I'm just so grateful to our team."
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