KPop Demon Hunters has made history by winning two Academy Awards on Monday (Mar 16), taking home Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Song, capping a landmark run that has seen the musical-action film dominate both the box office and music charts. Its hit song Golden is now the first K-pop track to ever win an Oscar.
The Netflix blockbuster follows HUNTR/X, a Korean girl group battling supernatural demons, a rival boy band, and the lead singer’s personal struggles with shame. The film’s unique animation style fuses 2D anime visuals with 3D CGI, highlighting its high-octane action sequences. The Grammy-winning soundtrack, anchored by Golden, placed eight songs on the Billboard Hot 100. Beyond its intense battles and choreography, the story explores themes of self-acceptance, blending Korean mythology with K-pop idol culture.
The film’s success underscores the global reach of South Korean pop culture. Its imaginative world, where a snack-loving vocal trio stands between humanity and evil spirits, has inspired Halloween costumes in the United States. The HUNTR/X performers — Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami — have gained hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, performed at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and appeared alongside Bad Bunny on Saturday Night Live.
Arden Cho, the speaking voice of Rumi, was recognised as one of The Associated Press’ Breakthrough Entertainers of 2025.
While the Oscar win was widely anticipated, the competition included notable animated films such as Arco, Elio, Little Amelie Or The Character Of Rain, and Zootopia 2, all of which had previously earned recognition at award shows. KPop Demon Hunters had already achieved major success at the Producers Guild Awards and Golden Globes.
The victory also reflects a broader trend of celebrating original animated stories rather than adaptations, following in the footsteps of recent winners like Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy And The Heron and the Latvian film Flow.
Director Maggie Kang explained that she wanted audiences to be fully immersed in the film’s Korean setting rather than simplify elements for Western viewers. “By throwing people into the deep end of a culture, it is easier to break down barriers,” she told the AP. “If you don’t shine a light on it, it just becomes more easily accepted.”
