As “Kpop Demon Hunters” continues to shine over awards season, Arden Cho, who plays the speaking voice of Rumi, and Ji-young Yoo, the speaking voice of Zoey, were at the Unforgettable Awards in Beverly Hills, where the film was honored with the Vanguard Award.
Yoo highlighted how the film was a love letter to Korean culture and a testament to the power of music. She said, “‘KPop Demon Hunters’ explores the pressure of perfectionism, generational trauma and struggles about who you are, who the world expects you to be.”
Cho was in San Francisco earlier in the day to speak on the Asian Women Are Strong 2026: Beyond the Spotlight panel, and narrowly made the event after flight delays. She said, “This film is truly a celebration of culture and community. It was brought to life by artists from around the world who infuse this project with their own voices and lived experiences.”
Yoo added, “I think I like to think that, like all the previous generations of Huntr/X, every person in this room has passed down wisdom, inspired the world with their talent, and helped to create an industry where a film like ‘Kpop Demon Hunters’ can exist.”
The evening’s festivities kicked off with GoldenTV CEO Takashi Cheng welcoming guests and underscoring the mission behind the Unforgettable Awards. He said, “Unforgettable is not only a celebration of achievement, but also a reminder of our responsibility to keep building opportunity, access, and visibility for those who follow.”
Charles Melton, who is set to appear in season 2 of “Beef,” presented the Global Icon Award to Academy nominee Chloé Zhao. As he presented the award, he called Zhao “one of our greatest storytellers” and said, “We need her films. We need her voice. We need her way. Chloé Zhao for president.”
Zhao reflected on the power of storytelling and said, “I am very lucky to be able to tell stories for a living. At the same time, I truly believe that it is the birthright of every human being to be able to use their creativity to alchemize their life experiences, no matter how difficult they are.”
Zhao nodded to her heritage and said, “I’m very proud to be Chinese. Wisdoms of my ancestors are not lost on me. I work very hard every day to rediscover it and remember it.”
Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka presented Bowen Yang with the actor in film award for his performance in “The Wedding Banquet.” Okatsuka praised Yang’s “fearless, razor-sharp timing and the rare ability to make even the most chaotic characters lovable.”
Yang reflected on the evolving visibility of Asian and Pacific Islander artists in entertainment. He pointed out the shift of walking into rooms and being “very aware of yourself, immediately.” He went on to say, “I’m so happy and lucky that it’s starting to change now because of rooms like this, because of events like Unforgettable, where we can see each other and go from the third person to the first with ourselves.” He added, “It’s called a glow for a reason. We are lit from within. We are incandescent.”
Also honored was Lawrence Shou, who received the breakout in film award for “Rosemead.” “Chief of War’s” Te Ao o Hinepehinga received the breakout in television award, Lloyd Lee Choi received the writer award for his film “Lucky Lu,” Leenda Dong was presented with the digital influence award and Jet Tila was given the culinary excellence in media award. Park Chan-wook received the director award for “No Other Choice” and Daniel Dae Kim received the actor in television award. Neither was able to attend and sent in pre-recorded messages.
The ceremony will stream as a live-to-tape special on March 13, from 6–8 PM PT on GoldenTV.
