^{Credit: KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix, Sony Pictures Animation)} 

It’s been almost a year since KPop Demon Hunters landed on Netflix. Since then, the char-topping “Golden” has won just about every award under the sun, including an Oscar, Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice Award, and Grammy. We can now add the American Music Awards to that list. “Golden” received three nominations at the 52nd American Music Awards for Best Pop Song, Best Vocal Performance, and Song of the Year, winning all of the above. KPop Demon Hunters also won Best Soundtrack, with one of its fellow nominees being Hazbin Hotel: Season Two. 

Since the category’s introduction in 1996, the Best Soundtrack award has gone to four animated productions: The Lion King, Frozen, Moana, and Arcane League of Legends: Season 2. KPop Demon Hunters marks the category's fifth animated victor. It beat out the soundtracks for F1 the Album, Wicked: For Good, and Charli XCX's work on Wuthering Heights. Although Audrey Nuna (Mira's singing voice) wasn't present, Ejae (Rumi) and Rei Ami (Zoey) did attend the ceremony. In fact, Ejaw pointed out that it was Rei Ami's birthday as they accepted Song of the Year. Huntrix prevailed in a stacked lineup that included Sabrina Carpenter's "Manchild" and Taylor Swift's "The Fate of Ophelia."

The Singing Voices of HUNTR/X: EJAE, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami are your Song of the Year winners for "Golden" 🎶 #AMAs pic.twitter.com/6P1R5VnwFq

— American Music Awards (@AMAs) May 26, 2026

The American Music Awards cap off what’s been an extraordinary run for “Golden” and KPop Demon Hunters. When it quietly went straight to streaming last June, few could’ve predicted that Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans’ film would become a cultural phenomenon, not to mention one that would be equally golden on the awards trail. Sony Pictures Animation’s breakout hit just kept going up, up, up, however.

With the AMAs in the books, there aren’t many awards left for KPop Demon Hunters to dominate. That is, except for the Kid’s Choice Awards, which won’t be held until November. Whether or not more prizes are in its future, we won't be done talking about KPop Demon Hunters anytime soon, especially with a sequel and world tour on the horizon. 

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Available Now!