EJAE says KPop Demon Hunters’ success has helped her music dreams “come true”.
The 34-year-old singer admitted she has worked for a decade to “become a Kpop idol”, and the Netflix animated hit has helped her achieve that goal.
She sang as a member of HUNTR/X on Golden from the show, which topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for eight weeks, and has now won a Golden Globe Award.
On Sunday (11.01.26), the song was named Best Original Song, making it the first track from an animated film to win at the ceremony since Prince won in 2007 with The Song of the Heart from Happy Feet.
EJAE – who was credited as Kim Eun-Jae – won alongside fellow lyricist Mark Sonnenblick, and composers Joong Gyu Kawk, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Park Hong Jun.
She said in an emotional acceptance speech: “When I was a little girl, I worked tirelessly for 10 years to fulfill one dream – to become a Kpop idol and I was rejected and disappointed.
“My voice wasn’t good enough and so I leaned on songs and music to get through it.
“Now I’m here as a singer and songwriter, so it’s a dream come true to be part of a song that is helping other girls and other boys and everyone of all ages to get through their hardship and to accept themselves.”
She dedicated the prize to anyone else who has “had doors closed on them”, insisting it’s “never” the end of the road.
She added: “I can confidently say rejection is redirection. So never give up. It’s never too late to shine like you were born to be.”
Golden had stiff competition, with Miley Cyrus in the running for her Avatar: Fire and Ash song Dream As One.
Stephen Schwartz was nominated twice for his work on Wicked: For Good, with No Place Like Home and The Girl In The Bubble also on the shortlist.
Rounding off the nominees were Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner’s song Train Dreams from the film of the same name, and Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Goransson’s I Lied To You from Sinners.