EJAE Reveals BAFTAs Nerves After Leonardo DiCaprio Moment

Ejae, the singing voice behind KPop Demon Hunters character Rumi, says she flubbed a high note during her BAFTA Film Awards performance in February after spotting an unsmiling Leonardo DiCaprio in the crowd. The singer opened up about the moment in an interview with The Times, published this week.

“The BAFTAs haunt me,” Ejae said. “I made mistakes. I cracked a little bit on the high notes.” She said the slip occurred just before she hit the demanding “born to be” line in Golden, the song that later won the Oscar and Grammy for best original song.

BAFTAs 2026 marked the first live international appearance by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami as the voices behind the film’s fictional K-pop group HUNTR/X. The trio performed Golden at London’s Royal Festival Hall. KPop Demon Hunters, however, remained ineligible for BAFTA film awards.

KPop Demon Hunters’ EJAE on her BAFTA Film Awards Performance

EJAE said Leonardo DiCaprio was right in front of her during the performance, and “he was not smiling.” According to her, performing in front of an audience filled with celebrities was already nerve-wracking, and then she noticed DiCaprio. “That’s what put me off. He made me so nervous,” she added.

DiCaprio was at the BAFTAs for his film One Battle After Another, which won six awards that night, including best film. His presence in the front row, paired with a room of A-list attendees, appears to have compounded the pressure Ejae already felt walking into her first major televised performance of the season.

Despite her self-criticism, EJAE framed the event, especially the success of KPop Demon Hunters, as a significant moment of her life. “It’s still crazy to me. I was a nobody, and suddenly I'm a something,” she said to The Times.

EJAE’s admission offers a rare look at the pressure performers face during globally televised awards ceremonies, even as KPop Demon Hunters became one of the biggest entertainment success stories of 2025.

The difficult BAFTAs moment ultimately did little to slow the momentum behind Golden and KPop Demon Hunters. Following its London performance, the song continued its awards-season run with appearances at major ceremonies, including the Brit Awards, Grammys and the Golden Globes. Netflix has also announced a KPop Demon Hunters concert tour in May 2026.