(LEAD) 'Golden' from 'KPop Demon Hunters' wins Grammy

▲ This Reuters photo shows composers of the "KPop Demon Hunters" soundtrack, who won Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 68th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles for "Golden" on Feb. 1, 2026. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ This image, provided by Netflix, is a scene from "Kpop Demon Hunters." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) animated film soundtrack-Grammy

(LEAD) 'Golden' from 'KPop Demon Hunters' wins Grammy

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details, speech, minor edits throughout; ADDS photo)

SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Yonhap) -- "Golden" from the soundtrack of Netflix's animated sensation "KPop Demon Hunters" won Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 68th Grammy Awards, marking a historic first for the K-pop genre.

The honor was announced during the premiere ceremony at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday (U.S. time). While South Korean recording engineer Hwang Byeong-joon and Korean American artist Yungin have won Grammys in the past, "Golden" represents the first time K-pop producers or songwriters have taken home the award.

Songwriters Ejae, Teddy, 24 and Ido were recognized as the official winners for the track.

After the win, producer-composer 24 dedicated the honor to Teddy, who did not attend the ceremony. 24 credited the "creative process" to Teddy, calling him "my greatest mentor and closest friend, the pioneer of K-pop."

Performed by Korean American artists Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami as the in-film girl group Huntr/x, "Golden" became a global phenomenon, topping both the Billboard Hot 100 and the British Official Singles Chart Top 100.

Produced by Sony Pictures Animation, "KPop Demon Hunters" centers on the trio, which lives a double life, balancing its music career with duties as warriors protecting the world from demonic spirits, such as the overlord Gwi-Ma and the soul-stealing Saja Boys.

In another closely watched category, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance went to Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande for "Defying Gravity" from the soundtrack of the film "Wicked," beating out nominees that included BLACKPINK's Rose with "APT." and Katseye with "Gabriela."

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