The Best K-pop Group Award goes to Huntrix from KPop Demon Hunters

SINGAPORE – If you have school-going children, chances are, they have attended at least one birthday party themed around the hit Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters (2025) this year. Maybe more.

Pink and lavender wigs? Check. Midriff-baring tops and knee-high boots? Check. Swords, polearms and throwing knives? Well, probably blunt toy substitutes.

That is how big the animated musical fantasy film, released in June, became in 2025. Along with the girl group which the film revolves around – Huntrix, made up of leader and vocalist Rumi, dancer Mira and rapper Zoe. The trio are also demon hunters who fight the forces of evil, and literally slay.

Despite being fictional, they have captured the public imagination, enough to warrant the best K-pop group award. After all, is there a K-pop number as infectious and ubiquitous as Golden?

The upbeat electro-pop song about casting doubt aside and embracing oneself has topped the Billboard Global 200 chart with its soaring melody, emotional vulnerability and uplifting message. It is in the running for four Grammy Awards – Song of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Song Written for Visual Media and Best Remixed Recording.

The number is crooned by real-life Korean American singers Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, who are the singing voices for Rumi, Mira and Zoey respectively. But few know who the flesh-and-blood personalities are, and are likely to just credit the song to Huntrix.

After all, Huntrix’s sisterly bond is so strong and infectious, and they love kimbap (a popular Korean dish of seasoned rice, vegetables and meat or seafood), ramyeon (the Korean term for instant noodles) and carb-loading. They are incredibly easy to identify with and so likeable.

Singing along to Golden is a breeze. Although the song is classified as K-pop, 90 per cent of its lyrics are in English.

Huntrix were modelled after K-pop girl groups such as Itzy, Blackpink, Twice and 2NE1. But they have certainly outdone their inspirations, and helped push KPop Demon Hunters to become the most watched Netflix movie of all time, with more than 325 million views.

Another contender for this award, by a mile, was another group of fictional idols – Huntrix’s rivals, the Saja Boys. The five-member boy band were inspired by real-life groups Tomorrow X Together, BTS, Stray Kids, Ateez and BigBang, and their catchy song Soda Pop peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Global 200.