It’s Germantown native Rei Ami’s moment.

The singer, who hails from Montgomery County, is part of the trio that sings one of the past year’s pop juggernauts, “Golden,” which is now officially an Academy Award nominee. The song, from Netflix’s animated film “KPop Demon Hunters,” is one of five competing for best original song, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Thursday morning.

“Golden” is nominated against “Dear Me” from “Diane Warren: Relentless,” “I Lied to You” from “Sinners,” “Sweet Dreams of Joy” from “Viva Verdi!” and “Train Dreams” from “Train Dreams” in the best original song category.

“KPop Demon Hunters” was also nominated for best animated feature film.

Should “Golden” win at the Oscars ceremony on March 15, Ami herself wouldn’t take home the gold. The Oscars’ best original song category is awarded only to the songwriter or songwriters; not performers. The honor would go to writers EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seon and Teddy Park.

But it’s still likely that she’ll get a chance to shine at the ceremony. Earlier this month, Ami attended the Golden Globes, where “KPop Demon Hunters” won best song and best animated film.

It’s also customary for each song nominated to be performed live during the Oscars. Those performances are usually confirmed about a week before the show.

Born Sarah Yeeun Lee in Seoul, South Korea, she moved to Germantown as a child before attending Northwest High School and the University of Maryland, College Park. After college graduation in 2018, Ami began pursuing a professional singing career. Her debut album, “Foil,” released in June 2021.

In “KPop Demon Hunters,” Ami provides the singing voice for Zoey, one of the main characters. Since the film’s summer 2025 release, she has made a splash in Hollywood, with appearances on “Saturday Night Live,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and performing in Snoop Dogg’s NFL halftime show on Christmas Day.

“Golden” has also proven its staying power in pop culture, seven months after its debut. The song has spent 30 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, became the first time a female K-pop artist reached No. 1 on the chart and was nominated for four Grammys, including song of the year and best pop duo/group performance.