"Acceptance speech cut off mid-sentence"... Backlash over 'Kedehun' Golden snub, was there really no time left?

According to Financial News, Netflix’s animated film KPop Demon Hunters has become the first K-culture-themed animation and the first K-pop–related work to take home an Oscar. At the same time, a backlash has erupted over the way the acceptance speech by the creator of the song Golden was cut off midway.
EJAE, the singer as well as lyricist and composer of Golden, the original soundtrack for Kedehun, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 98th Academy Awards, held on the 15th (local time) at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, US.
After EJAE spoke first during the acceptance, the microphone was passed to a co-winner, but the play-off music signaling their exit began almost immediately. Lee Yu-han tried to continue speaking, yet his words were drowned out by the music. As a result, co-lyricist Mark Sonnenblick and The Black Label composers Gwak Jung-gyu, Lee Yu-han, Nam Hee-dong (Ido), and Seo Jung-hoon had to leave the stage. EJAE effectively had only about 10 to 15 seconds for her acceptance remarks.
Broadcaster Ahn Hyun-mo, who was providing live commentary on the ceremony on Orion Cinema Network (OCN), also expressed regret, noting, "Earlier, the acceptance speech for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film went on for quite a long time."
Cable News Network (CNN) reported that some of the winners’ remarks during Kedehun’s Best Original Song win were cut short due to the live broadcast’s time limits. The outlet added, "Fans have since reacted by saying the winners were not given enough time to speak about this historic moment."

At the Academy Awards (the Oscars), acceptance speeches are often interrupted because of broadcast time constraints. The Best Original Song award is typically presented near the end of the ceremony, so the schedule was likely tight. Even so, many argued this case amounted to poor treatment, since EJAE’s speech was already quite short out of consideration for her colleagues.
Entertainment Weekly reported that although the composers of KPop Demon Hunters had their acceptance speech cut off by music during the 2026 Oscars, they were able to finish what they wanted to say later that night in the press room.
According to the outlet, composer Lee Yu-han, whose remarks had ended with only a few words left, said, "I want to thank my family, the team behind 24, and my fellow Ido members," adding, "This is an almost unbelievable honor."
Co-composer Mark Sonnenblick also shared his joy over the win. "This project was truly the result of everyone working together in collaboration," he said. "A film is like a village. We may be the ones standing here right now, but there are so many more people who made this possible. We are incredibly grateful."
He went on, "Part of this film is about looking again at someone we’ve been taught to fear or hate, and ultimately coming to trust them, or maybe even to love them," signaling his willingness to take the night’s hiccup in stride.
Meanwhile, during the ceremony itself, EJAE was the only one who managed to deliver her acceptance speech in full. "When I was young, people used to make fun of me for liking K-pop, but now everyone is singing along to our songs and Korean lyrics. I’m so proud," she said. She continued, "Just like the message of the song, I believe this award is not about success but about resilience. I want to sincerely thank every member of our team."



jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-a Reporter