March 16, 2026 | 09:35 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Korean animated film KPop Demon Hunters won the Oscar for Best Animated Film at the 98th Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 15, 2026, local time. The Netflix film, the most-watched in history, brought home the top award for the animation category, beating out several other nominees including Arco, Elio, Little Amlie or the Character of Rain, and Zootopia 2.
KPop Demon Hunters was directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, and produced by Michelle LM Wong. As reported by Variety, this victory made Maggie and Michelle the first Asian women to win the award for Best Animated Film in history.
"Thank you to the Academy and all the fans who have brought us this far, and to those who look like me," said Maggie when receiving the Oscar on stage. "I deeply regret that it took us so long to see ourselves in a film like this. But here it is, and it means that future generations no longer have to long for it. This is for Korea and for the Korean people everywhere."
This action-fantasy film follows the story of K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, who also secretly protect the world from evil spirits. According to The Korea Times, the impact of KPop Demon Hunters has extended far beyond the screen. The number of visitors to the National Museum of Korea and tourist sites in historic Seoul featured in the film has increased.
The song "Golden," which colors the film KPop Demon Hunters, is also a top contender for the Best Original Song category. The song is competing with "I Lied to You" by Sinners, "Dear Me" by Diane Warren from the documentary film Diane Warren: Relentless, the theme song by Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner from Train Dreams, and "Sweet Dreams of Joy" by Nicholas Pike from Viva Verdi!.
Variety reports that, if it wins, "Golden" could be the first K-pop song to ever win an Oscar. EJAE, who voices Rumi in the film, Mark Sonnenblick, and the hit production company from South Korea, Black Label (Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Zhun), could also make history at the Oscars by becoming the first Koreans to win the award for Best Original Song.
Two days before this victory, Netflix officially announced that they will produce a sequel to KPop Demon Hunters. Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans will return as directors. Previously, KPop Demon Hunters, produced in partnership with Sony Pictures Animation, had reached over 500 million views on Netflix since its debut in June 2025.
Read: Netflix Confirms KPop Demon Hunters Sequel After Success
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