Oscar producer addresses backlash over ‘Golden’ team victory speech cutoff

Oscars executive Rob Mills said producers will review speech handling after backlash over the “Golden” songwriting team being cut off at the 98th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday. Ejae completed her remarks before handing the microphone to Yu-han Lee, as orchestra music rose and overtook his speech. Similar cutoffs also affected “KPop Demon Hunters” producer Michelle L.M. Wong and “Two People Exchanging Saliva” filmmaker Alexandre Singh.

The team behind “Golden” — Ejae, Lee, Mark Sonnenblick, Teddy Park, Joong Gyu Kwak and Nam Hee-dong — accepted the award for best original song, marking the first Oscar win for a K-pop track.

Ejae opened the speech with a personal reflection on K-pop’s global rise, saying, “Growing up, people made fun of me for liking K-pop, but now everyone’s singing our song in all the Korean lyrics.” She then handed the microphone to Lee, who began his remarks just as the orchestra music swelled, effectively silencing him for the broadcast audience.

Members of the team later completed their remarks in the press room, where Lee delivered the portion of his speech that was cut off during the live broadcast, saying, “I would like to thank all our families, my fellow Idol members and Teddy Park.” Ejae added, “Also, I needed to thank Rei Ami and Audrey Nuna onstage, but I didn’t get to because they just cut us off.”

Clips of the interruptions circulated widely online within hours, with viewers criticizing how the ceremony handled speeches during a historic moment for K-pop. Many pointed to the contrast between the “Golden” team being cut off mid-sentence and other segments that were allowed to run longer.

Users on X noted the irony of the broadcast dedicating extended time to a comedy segment featuring the “Bridesmaids” cast while cutting off the first K-pop winners. One widely shared post described the moment as “so disrespectful.”

Others questioned what they described as inconsistent pacing across categories, noting that major awards such as best actor and best director were allowed to run over time while the “Golden” team was played off early. Some also noted that Lee, a non-native English speaker, had prepared remarks in a second language but was unable to deliver them onstage.

Mills, executive vice president of unscripted and alternative entertainment at Walt Disney Television, addressed the backlash in an interview with Variety, saying, “One thing, as we post mortem for next year, will be to look at how we’re handling speeches.” He added, “I don’t know what the most elegant solution is, but it’s obviously something we should look really, really long and hard at.”

Winners are typically given about 45 seconds for acceptance speeches before orchestra music begins to signal time. According to Mills, it is “difficult” cutting someone off because it is “their one moment,” and suggested producers may consider limiting speakers or extending remarks offstage in future ceremonies.

Wong was delivering her acceptance remarks for “KPop Demon Hunters” after it won best animated feature when orchestra music began playing over her mid-sentence. She continued speaking over the audio for several seconds before stopping as the music swelled.

In the best live action short film category, Singh, representing “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” was among the winners onstage and stepped forward to speak after Natalie Musteata. As he approached the microphone, it visibly lowered into the stage, forcing a pause before he was able to start his speech. Host Conan O’Brien acknowledged the moment onstage, joking about the apparent technical malfunction.