Animated Oscar upset: KPop Demon Hunters
Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters won Best Animated Feature at the 2026 Oscars and also took Best Original Song for “Golden” — a major win for Asian musical animation. (dojeonmedia.com) This double victory underlines how animation that leans on pop-musical forms is breaking through awards circuits in 2026. (dojeonmedia.com)
At the March 15 ceremony co-director Maggie Kang began her onstage acceptance in tears and told the crowd, “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.” (hollywoodreporter.com) The Oscars stage hosted a live performance of “Golden” by the film’s singing trio EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI performing as HUNTR/X, complete with synchronized dancers and audience lightsticks. (rollingstone.com) BMG, which administers much of the film’s soundtrack, noted “Golden” had already become a major awards-season presence prior to the ceremony, including a Grammy win for Best Song Written for Visual Media. (bmg.com) Members of the seven‑person songwriting team spoke in the winners’ press room, and onstage co-writer Yu‑Han Lee was briefly played off while attempting to speak after EJAE’s remarks. (deadline.com) Netflix’s biannual “What We Watched” report recorded roughly 482 million views for the title in the second half of 2025 (views calculated as total hours watched divided by runtime), the largest six‑month total for any title on the service. (hollywoodreporter.com) Industry fallout has already followed: directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans reportedly negotiated a multi‑million‑dollar deal after the project’s breakout success, and Netflix executives are moving to monetize the film with a planned HUNTR/X global concert push and a confirmed sequel. (cartoonbrew.com) “Golden” also topped major charts worldwide, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Official Singles Chart during its run, and sustained multi‑week chart positions in multiple markets. (billboard.com)
