Oscars Execs Explain Why 'Kpop Demon Hunters' Speech and 'Golden' Performance Were Cut Short

Academy leadership addresses the awkward moments, citing challenges with timing and live broadcast pressure.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 6:19am

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Oscars executives have addressed the abrupt cut-off of the 'Golden' songwriters' acceptance speech and the slightly shortened 'Golden' performance during the 2026 Oscars ceremony. They admit the incidents exposed deeper issues with how the Oscars handles time, especially when multiple winners share the stage. The Academy is now rethinking its approach, including designating a single speaker per win or extending speeches beyond the stage through backstage feeds or social platforms.

Why it matters

The Oscars telecast is a highly produced live event with tight timing constraints. The awkward moments highlighted the challenges the Academy faces in balancing the unpredictability of group wins and emotional acceptance speeches with the demands of a smooth, tightly-paced broadcast. As the Oscars looks to evolve, finding the right approach to manage these competing priorities will be crucial.

The details

When the Kpop Demon Hunters team went up to accept their award, the orchestra began to play them off mid-speech, leading to confusion. The 'Golden' songwriters also appeared to be cut short before finishing their remarks. According to the Academy, the real challenge lies in the unpredictability of group wins - some categories bring up a single voice, others a full ensemble, each wanting their moment. While winners are briefed on time limits, enforcing those limits in real time can feel blunt, especially when emotions are running high.

  • The 2026 Oscars ceremony took place on March 16, 2026.

The players

Bill Kramer

Academy leadership.

Raj Kapoor

Oscars showrunner.

Katy Mullan

Oscars executive producer.

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What they’re saying

“We look at everything and figure out what is the most elegant solution, because it is difficult, especially when you're cutting somebody off and it's their one moment.”

— Bill Kramer, Academy leadership (weareresonate.com)

“One thing, as we post mortem for next year, will be to look at how we're handling speeches. You win the Oscar, you know you go on stage, it could be one person, it could be five or six. Immediately you'll see the sort of allotted time we have for them. Do we need to look at it and say, okay, designate one person to speak. Maybe you continue it backstage, and we have a feed on social or something like that.”

— Bill Kramer, Academy leadership (weareresonate.com)

“That was by design, that wasn't something that you can call an audible on, because those things are so well-rehearsed. Yes, they cut a verse. But I think certainly with the lead up and the production, you got a feeling of it. Probably what is the best thing musical number can accomplish is it makes you want to go and watch the movie again. I think both musical numbers, they really encapsulated both the sort of just the feeling of those movies, beyond just just the music.”

— Bill Kramer, Academy leadership (weareresonate.com)

What’s next

The Academy is now seriously rethinking its approach to handling acceptance speeches, including designating a single speaker per win or extending speeches beyond the stage through backstage feeds or social platforms.

The takeaway

The awkward moments during the 2026 Oscars ceremony highlighted the delicate balance the Academy must strike between preserving the emotional spontaneity of winners' speeches and the demands of a tightly-paced live television broadcast. As the Oscars looks to evolve, finding more 'elegant solutions' to manage this challenge will be crucial.