“Golden,” the hit song from Netflix’s animated film KPop Demon Hunters, has added another major accolade to its growing list of awards after winning Best Original Song at the 2026 World Soundtrack Awards. The winners were announced on Saturday, October 10, during the 26th annual ceremony and concert held as part of Film Fest Gent in Ghent, Belgium.
The song was recognised for its contribution to the film’s soundtrack, continuing its successful awards run following previous honours at major international ceremonies. “Golden” is performed by HUNTR/X, the fictional girl group voiced by EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI, and has become one of the most prominent songs associated with the animated musical.
The winning composition credits Kim Eun-jae, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo and Teddy Park as writers. Its win at the World Soundtrack Awards placed it ahead of other nominated songs, including “House” from Wuthering Heights, “No Place Like Home” from Wicked: For Good, “Stolen Tale” from Hedda and “Train Dreams” from Train Dreams.
The ceremony also recognised composers working across film, television and video games. British composer Daniel Pemberton won Film Composer of the Year for his work on Project Hail Mary, The Drama, The Bad Guys 2 and Masters of the Universe. Jeff Russo received Television Composer of the Year for his work on Alien: Earth, Cape Fear and the second season of Citadel.
Hannah Peel was named Discovery of the Year for her work on Midwinter Break. The Public Choice Award went to Kevin Smithers for the score to Soy Frankelda, while Nicolas Garcia won the Game Music Award for Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss. Margaret Hermant received the Belgian Film Composer of the Year award for A la cara (Nothing Personal) and Mallorca Confidencial.
Xabier Doural García won the award for Best Original Composition by a Young Composer. The ceremony also honoured veteran composer Trevor Jones with the Lifetime Achievement Award, recognising his contribution to film music. Jones is known for scores including The Last of the Mohicans and Notting Hill.
The awards were presented during Film Fest Gent, Belgium’s major international film festival, which hosts the annual World Soundtrack Awards as part of its wider programme celebrating music written for screen. The 2026 edition brought composers, filmmakers and music professionals together for concerts, discussions, workshops and masterclasses focused on film and television scoring.
“Golden” has continued to attract international recognition since the release of KPop Demon Hunters, which follows a fictional K-pop group balancing its public career with a secret mission to protect the world from supernatural threats. The track’s success has helped extend the film’s reach beyond animation audiences and into mainstream music and awards discussions.
The full list of winners at the 2026 World Soundtrack Awards includes Daniel Pemberton for Film Composer of the Year, Jeff Russo for Television Composer of the Year, “Golden” for Best Original Song, Hannah Peel for Discovery of the Year, Kevin Smithers for the Public Choice Award, Nicolas Garcia for the Game Music Award, Margaret Hermant for Belgian Film Composer of the Year, Xabier Doural García for Best Original Composition by a Young Composer, and Trevor Jones as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The 26th World Soundtrack Awards took place on October 10, 2026, with “Golden” emerging as the winner in the original-song category and joining the ceremony’s wider recognition of achievements in film, television and game music.
