‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Makes History with Oscar Wins for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song

The Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters (2025) achieved a historic win at the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday, taking home the awards for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Song. This marks the first Oscar win and nomination for directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, and producer Michelle Wong.

Accepting the award for Best Animated Feature, Kang stated, “For those of you who seem like me, I am so sorry that it took us so long to see us in a movie like this. But it is here, and that means that the next generation [doesn’t] have to go longing. This is for Korea and Koreans everywhere.”

Appelhans added, “Music and stories have this power to connect us as humans across cultures and borders. So, I just want to take a moment to say to all the young filmmakers, artists, musicians in all corners of the globe: Tell your story, sing in your voice. I promise you the world is waiting.”

The film’s song, “Golden” (2025), also won the Oscar for Best Original Song.

About ‘KPop Demon Hunters’

KPop Demon Hunters centers on the story of HUNTR/X, a girl group who secretly work as demon hunters, battling against their rivals, the Saja Boys. The film’s soundtrack has been a major success, with “Golden” becoming the first K-pop song to win both an Oscar and a Grammy Award as reported by the Hollywood Reporter.

EJAE, Rei Ami, and Audrey Nuna, who voice the members of HUNTR/X, performed “Golden” at the 2026 Academy Awards ceremony. The performance featured dancers in traditional Korean hanbok and a pansori duo, showcasing a blend of modern K-pop and traditional Korean arts according to the BBC.

EJAE, also a writer on “Golden,” shared at the 2026 Grammy Awards, “Growing up, people didn’t understand where Korea was or what Korea was, and that’s why it’s so incredible to have the song ‘Golden’ being sung all over the world, singing the Korean lyrics word by word. It means so much and I think this award is about that representation.”