‘KPop Demon Hunters’ wins best animated feature Oscar

Figures from the "KPop Demon Hunters" toy series are on display at Mattel's booth at the New York Toy Fair in New York City, US, Feb 17, 2026. REUTERS/ Jeenah Moon

“KPop Demon Hunters” won the Oscar for best animated feature on Sunday, capping a record-breaking run after becoming Netflix’s most‑watched film ever on its 2025 debut.

"For those of you who look like me, I'm so sorry that it took us so long to see us in a movie like this, but it is here," director Maggie Kang said on stage. She said the win was for Korea and for Koreans everywhere.

The action‑packed feature was also nominated for best original song for “Golden,” written by EJAE and Mark Sonnenblick. The film follows Huntrix — Rumi, Mira and Zoey — a global KPop girl group who juggle superstardom with their secret lives as demon hunters.

The animated musical fantasy previously swept major awards, winning best animated feature and best song at the 31st Critics Choice Awards and best animated motion picture and best original song at the 83rd Golden Globes.

Animated by Sony Pictures Animation, the Netflix hit also earned a Grammy for best song written for visual media, marking the first‑ever Grammy win for a KPop song.

Directed by Kang and Chris Appelhans, the film’s soundtrack has trended worldwide. In a January 2026 press its most-watched title over a six-month period with 482 million views and 32 million views for the film's lyric videos.

Other nominees in the best animated feature category included “Zootopia 2,” “Arco,” “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain" and "Elio."