Who said that K-Pop can’t reign in the women’s awards?
Well HUNTR/X has just proven the opposite. The group won the Woman of the Year award at the Billboard Women in Music 2026, and not only that: they also stole the show with a performance of their song Golden that left everyone with their hearts beating strong.
EJAE: “There was a lack of representation”
When EJAE went on stage to receive the award from Ella Mai, she held nothing back. “Thank you Billboard for this incredible honor and being in this room with incredible women from all industries,” she said, but then went further.
“Working in music is not easy. As an Asian woman, there was a lack of representation. Growing up in America I really thought artists looked like me in Western studios.”
And yes, that hits hard. Because when you grow up watching music videos and no one looks like you, the message is clear: you don’t belong here. But EJAE and HUNTR/X are changing that.
Music as truth, without filters
EJAE did not stop there. She spoke about how music transcends labels: “Music does not see race or gender, it only points to the truth. My voice, my courage, my femininity, everything we can change. As a woman, our power has never been enough, but it is a women’s right to speak our truth.”
And then she issued a call to action: “I just want to say to all the women who have been felt and seen: your voice is something to honor… Because when we create without apology, take up our space and support each other, we not only make music, but we can also change the sound.”
The other voices of the group
Rei Ami also opened up about how hard it is to be a woman in an industry that is still male territory: “Being a woman in a male-dominated industry is difficult. Sometimes we have to work with a smile on our faces, while every part of us is criticized.”
And Audrey Nuna closed with a reflection that is a pure gem: “The world needs women to show themselves as they are, in their maximum expression. Being themselves, with their peculiarities, with their characteristic smells, or whatever, is an indescribable reward.”
More than music: a Netflix movie
As if that were not enough, HUNTR/X is also the center of the Netflix movie K-Pop Demon Hunters. Yes, you read correctly: they are conquering awards, stages and now the screen. If this isn’t main character energy, I don’t know what is.
