Netflix’s “K-POP Demon Hunters” Loses BAFTA Eligibility, Raising Questions for the Oscars

Despite sparking a “next-generation phenomenon” worldwide, Netflix’s original animated feature “K-POP Demon Hunters” has been ruled ineligible for consideration by BAFTA, excluding it from the Best Animated Feature category at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. The decision comes as a major twist in the awards season and has triggered speculation about its prospects for the Oscars.

According to Variety and multiple Korean outlets, BAFTA determined that the film failed to meet the minimum requirement of seven days and ten commercial screenings within the UK.

Netflix argued that the film should qualify under BAFTA’s event-screening exception, but the appeal was rejected.

Deadline noted that no animated film has ever won the Oscar without first receiving a BAFTA nomination, making this a potentially significant setback.

Despite the setback, the film remains a major awards-season contender, with 300 million views and multiple Grammy-nominated OST tracks boosting its impact.

Netflix is now expected to shift its BAFTA campaign toward Alex Woo’s upcoming film “In Your Dream,” while focusing “K-POP Demon Hunters” on the Oscars and Grammys.