‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Wins Oscar for Best Animated Film

“KPop Demon Hunters” won the Academy Award for best animated feature on Sunday, a culturally defining achievement that propelled the musical action movie to the top of both the box office and music charts.

Netflix’s blockbuster follows Korean girl group HUNTR/X as they battle otherworldly demons, a rival boy band, and their lead singer’s own shame. Combining 2D anime aesthetics with 3D CGI stylizations, the choppy animation style underscores the high-octane action. The soundtrack, headlined by the Grammy-winning hit “Golden,” yielded eight songs on the Billboard Hot 100. Besides all the demon slaying and choreography, there’s also a creative story of self-acceptance that blends Korean mythology and K-pop idol culture.

In her acceptance speech, director Maggie Kang apologized to “those who look like me” for taking so long to be represented on the big screen.

“This is for Korea and Koreans everywhere,” he said.

This win also demonstrates the global influence of South Korean pop culture. The film’s fantasy world, in which a snack-loving vocal trio is the only force standing between evil spirits and humanity, has inspired the Halloween costumes of many children across the United States. The HUNTR/X singers — Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami — gained hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and appeared alongside Bad Bunny in the “Saturday Night Live” season premiere.

Arden Cho, who provides Rumi’s speaking voice, has been named one of the Associated Press’ Breakthrough Entertainers of 2025.

The film’s victory came as little surprise to those following awards season. The other nominees — “Arco,” “Elio,” “Little Amélie, or the Character of the Rain” and “Zootopia 2” — had won few awards in their run-up to the Oscars. “KPop Demon Hunters” won major awards at several premieres, including the Producers Guild Awards and the Golden Globes.

The recognition continues voters’ celebration of original animated stories that do not adapt existing intellectual property. Recent winners include Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron” and the Latvian film “Flow.”

Kang said he wanted to fully immerse viewers in the Korean setting rather than explaining certain elements to Western audiences. It’s easier to break down barriers by “throwing people deeper into a culture,” he previously told the AP. “If you don’t shine a light on it, it becomes more acceptable,” he said.