The success of the song Golden al Oscar Awards 2026 marked a historic moment for the global K-pop industry. The animated film KPop Demon Hunters won the award for best animated film, while its Golden soundtrack took home the award for best original song, becoming the the first ever K-pop song to win in this category at the Oscars .
Before Oscar victory, Golden had already won Best Song Written for Visual Media at the Grammy Awards 2026 and also received recognition at Golden Globe Awards . This rare achievement placed the song among a small group of film songs in history to be honored by the film and music industry’s most prestigious awards.
Behind Golden’s success is Teddy Park, a producer widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in the K-pop industry.
Before becoming a major producer, Teddy debuted in the late 1990s as a member of the hip-hop group 1TYM under YG Entertainment. During his time in the group, he was not only an artist, but also participated in songwriting and music production. This experience helped him develop a deep understanding of the entire music creation process, from studio recording to reaching audiences.
After 1TYM phased out operations around 2006, Teddy transitioned completely into production. He soon became involved in creating music for major YG artists such as Se7en and BIGBANG, helping to establish his reputation in the Korean music industry.
His career reached another milestone when he became the main producer of 2NE1. Many of the group’s songs achieved great commercial success, including I Don’t Care, which won Daesang at the Mnet Asian Music Awards 2009 .
In 2016, Teddy has played a crucial role in shaping BLACKPINK’s music since their debut. It produced many of the group’s global hits, including Whistle, BOOMBAYAH, DDU-DU DDU-DU, Kill This Love and How You Like That. For many fans, BLACKPINK’s success is closely linked to Teddy’s signature production style.
In addition to producing, Teddy is also a major figure in the world of entertainment. In 2015, he co-founded The Black Label with producer Kush. The company later became an independent powerhouse managing several high-profile artists such as Jeon Somi, Taeyang, and Park Bo-gum, while also working with Rosé for her solo activities.
The label has continued to expand its influence, debuting new acts like MEOVV and ALLDAY PROJECT in recent years.
Teddy’s contributions have also been recognized internationally. In 2021, Billboard included him in its list of The 50 greatest music producers of the 21st century .
Despite his enormous influence, Teddy is known for maintaining a remarkably low public profile. He rarely gives interviews, avoids social media and generally stays behind the scenes, only occasionally appearing in photos with artists.
With the global success of Golden both at Grammys and the Oscar Teddy Park’s twenty-year journey into music production has once again attracted attention, strengthening his reputation as one of K-pop’s most powerful but low-profile figures
Sources: Kenh14, The Hollywood Reporter
