‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Star EJAE Gets Emotional as She Accepts Best Original Song for ‘Golden’ at American Cinematheque Tribute: ‘It Helped Bring Light in a Very Dark Time in my Life’

The track "Golden" from the Netflix film "KPop Demon Hunters" has added another honor to its collection, receiving the award for Best Original Song at the American Cinematheque Tribute to the Arts. Songwriters EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick were on hand to accept the accolade.

During an emotional acceptance speech, EJAE reflected on the song's serendipitous origins, calling it "a beautiful accident." She shared that after giving up her dream of becoming a KPop idol in her mid-twenties, a chance meeting with several producers led to her writing a track about a personal breakup. "What's so weird was, after I was done, it weirdly helped me deal with the breakup better than talking to my girlfriends," she explained. "Every melody, every word, had intent and expressed my emotion to its purest form." EJAE, who along with Sonnenblick previously won the Golden Globe and Critics Choice awards for the same song, also revealed she wrote with the film's protagonist, Rumi, in mind. "The character was fictional, but the emotion was raw and very real," she said, adding that recording the demo was so moving it brought her to tears. The song's profound impact is echoed by fans; EJAE noted the most common message she receives is the exact phrase, "'Your song 'Golden' saved me.'"

The evening also celebrated a legend behind the scenes, as production designer Jack Fisk received the Career Achievement Award from his wife, actress Sissy Spacek. Fisk, whose influential five-decade career includes seminal films like "Badlands," "Mulholland Drive," and "The Revenant," has surprisingly never won an Oscar. He recounted his humble start, recalling a 1970 road trip to Los Angeles in a U-Haul with his best friend, filmmaker David Lynch. "I found a job on a non-union film for $100 a week, holding traffic," Fisk said. His curiosity drew him closer to the set, where he discovered the art department—a moment that defined his career path. He also fondly recalled meeting Spacek through director Terrence Malick on the set of "Badlands," a film he credits with changing his life forever. Expressing no regrets, he concluded with a quote from Lynch: "The Art Life—it's a great Life!"

Other honorees used the platform to highlight significant industry shifts. Casting director Francine Maisler, recognized for her work on Warner Bros.' "Sinners," thanked the organization for "recognizing the pivotal role that casting plays." Her award carries added weight as the Academy Awards prepares to present an Oscar for casting for the very first time at next month's ceremony—a long-awaited acknowledgment of the craft's importance. Meanwhile, editor Andy Jurgensen, honored for "One Battle After Another," praised director Paul Thomas Anderson as "an extraordinary mentor and collaborator" who taught him to defy convention and embrace creative imperfections.

The full list of Tribute to the Crafts honorees spanned a wide range of technical and artistic disciplines. Netflix projects were well-represented, with awards for the cinematography of "Train Dreams" and the hair, makeup, and production design for "Frankenstein." Major studio releases also featured prominently, including wins for the choreography of Universal's "Wicked: For Good," the score for "Sinners," the stunts for Paramount's "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning," and the visual effects for 20th Century Studios' "Avatar: Fire and Ash." The awards underscore the collaborative artistry essential to filmmaking, celebrating both emerging talents and enduring veterans alike.