Oscars considering rule change after Kpop Demon Hunters speech controversy

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The film Kpop Demon Hunters received two awards at the recent Oscars, but the decision to shorten acceptance speeches has sparked controversy and could significantly impact future Academy Awards ceremonies.

Conan O’Brien hosted the 98th Academy Awards, where the films One Battle After Another and Sinners took home the most awards.

The event also faced some criticism. People were upset that Sean Penn wasn’t recognized, that David Keighley was left out of the memorial tribute, and that attendees had left a mess behind.

The broadcast received a lot of criticism regarding the Kpop Demon Hunters’ speeches, and this situation could lead to changes in how the Oscars are run going forward.

Oscars need “elegant solution” to Kpop Demon Hunters problem

During the awards ceremony, Maggie Kang, co-director of Kpop Demon Hunters, began her acceptance speech for Best Animated Feature, but was briefly cut off by the event’s music. The music was quickly turned off so she could finish speaking.

The creators of the Oscar-winning song ‘Golden’ from Kpop Demon Hunters didn’t have a traditional acceptance speech. While Ejae shared heartfelt words, the rest of the team couldn’t be heard and had to express their gratitude during a separate, informal press conference.

Variety spoke with Rob Mills, who oversees the Oscars broadcast for Walt Disney Television, about the recent backlash. Mills admitted the issue is concerning and requires addressing.

As we review what happened this year to improve for next year, we need to examine how we manage acceptance speeches. When someone wins an Oscar, they go on stage, and it could be just one person or a group of up to six. We need to quickly determine the time limit we give them and consider if it would be better to ask one designated person to deliver the speech.

The team behind the K-Pop song that won an Oscar for Best Original Song had their acceptance speech cut short during the ceremony.

— Deadline (@DEADLINE) March 16, 2026

We could continue the show behind the scenes and share it on social media. We’ll carefully consider the best way to handle things, because it’s tricky, especially when having to interrupt someone during their important moment.

During the awards luncheon, we discussed the challenge of limited speaking time. It’s tough to figure out the best way to handle it, but we definitely need to carefully consider some solutions.

If you’re still thinking about the Oscars, I dug up some info! It turns out Diane Warren has had a really rough run at the awards, and I can explain that funny moment with MrBeast at the very end of the show too.

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2026-03-17 14:19