By Danielle Broadway
LOS ANGELES, March 10 (Reuters) – The lead vocalists behind “KPop Demon Hunters” — Netflix’s most‑watched animated film of all time — are headed to the Oscars stage for the first time. EJAE, Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna will perform “Golden” during Sunday’s ceremony, executive producer and showrunner Raj Kapoor and executive producer Katy Mullan announced Tuesday.
The ceremony will be televised live on ABC and streamed live on Hulu.
The trio’s performance in Los Angeles will showcase music from the Oscar-nominated film’s chart-topping soundtrack and feature “a fusion of traditional Korean instrumentalists and dance” — a tribute to the Korean cultural roots that shaped the movie’s sound and story.
The singers from the fictional group, HUNTR/X, will deliver the Oscar‑nominated original song co‑written by EJAE, marking a milestone moment in their careers.
Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, “KPop Demon Hunters” has become a global sensation, with its music continuing to trend worldwide.
The story follows three demon hunters who double as K‑pop idols, battling supernatural forces while captivating fans onstage.
Also making his Oscars performance debut is American musician and actor Miles Caton, known for his breakout role as Sammie in Oscar-nominated director Ryan Coogler’s Oscar‑nominated horror film “Sinners.”
Caton will join Raphael Saadiq to perform the film’s Oscar‑nominated original song “I Lied To You.”
The performance will expand into a sweeping, blues‑driven tribute featuring Misty Copeland, Eric Gales, Buddy Guy, Brittany Howard, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Jayme Lawson, Li Jun Li, Bobby Rush, Shaboozey and Alice Smith.
The Warner Bros. feature film — celebrated for its rich exploration of blues music and Black culture in the segregation‑era U.S. South — leads all films this year with a record‑setting 16 Oscar nominations, the most of any film.
“Sinners” follows twin brothers, both played by Oscar nominee Michael B. Jordan, who open a juke joint in 1930s Mississippi, only to encounter a community of vampires. The supernatural peril becomes a powerful allegory for segregation and racism.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world’s premier film organization with a global membership of more than 11,000 people in the film industry.
(Reporting by Danielle Broadway; Editing by David Gregorio)
