“KPop Demon Hunters” one step closer to another golden moment: Oscar. The Netflix phenomenon is among 35 feature films vying for a nomination in the animated feature category at the 98th Academy Awards.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released on Friday the lists of all the films competing for the animated, documentary and international feature prizes at next year's Oscars.
While “KPop Demon Hunters” made a name for itself on Netflix, it also received qualifying screenings in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco in June, satisfying the Academy's requirements for Oscar consideration. However, its theatrical run in the UK was not enough to qualify for a BAFTA Award.
Other animated films in the running for the Oscar were Neon's Arco, Disney's Elio and Zootopia 2, GKids' Little Amelie or Rain Character, Netflix's In Your Dreams, and Crunchyroll and Sony's Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: The Infinity Castle Kimetsu no Yaiba and Chainsaw Man the Movie: Arc Reze.” It is noteworthy that the Chinese blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” was not among the 35 titles listed.
“KPop Demon Hunters,” which Netflix named the most-watched movie of all time, has amassed more than 541 million hours watched worldwide. His highest rated soundtrack in 2025 eight of his songs reached the Billboard Hot 100. He also became a sensation in cinemas in August where it is estimated to have earned around $18 million (which would have topped the charts if Netflix had released theatrical earnings) and received a subsequent release Halloween weekend. Netflix won its first animated Oscar in 2022 for “Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio.”
The competition also included 201 documentaries and 86 international feature films, including “Sentimental Value” (Norway), “Sirat” (Spain), “Secret Agent” (Brazil), “It was just an accident” (France), “The Voice of Hind Rajab” (Tunisia) and “Shadow of My Father” (UK). “2000 meters to Andreevka.” a co-production of AP and PBS Frontline, eligible in both categories. Both documentaries and international films will be selected for a shortlist of 10 films, which will be announced on December 16th.
“KPop Demon Hunters” fans will have to wait until the nomination morning on January 22 to find out whether they made it into the animated film or not. It is also expected to be submitted in the original song category, where “Golden” is among the songs submitted.
98th Academy Awards will air live on ABC on March 15 at 7:00 pm ET.
