Netflix’s ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Secures Oscars Eligibility in Best Animated Feature at the 98th Academy Awards

Netflix’s original animated feature ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ has officially entered the race for the 98th Academy Awards. AMPAS recently announced 35 titles eligible for consideration in the Best Animated Feature category, with the film standing out as a K-pop girl group–driven project among the contenders.

According to AMPAS, 35 animated features qualified this year. ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ appears alongside Disney’s ‘Elio’ and ‘Zootopia 2’, as well as Japanese heavyweights like ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’ and ‘Chainsaw Man – Reze Arc’, setting up a highly competitive field.

While ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ is primarily a Netflix streaming title, it met the Academy’s technical eligibility rules through limited theatrical runs in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco in June 2025, fulfilling the required qualifying engagements.

Not all anticipated contenders made the list. Korean reports point out that China’s much-discussed ‘Ne Zha 2’ was excluded from the eligibility roster, underscoring both the strict standards and intense competition in this year’s animated feature race.

For Netflix, a successful Oscar run for ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ would be symbolically significant. The streamer previously captured its first Best Animated Feature Oscar with ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ in 2022. A second win, this time with a K-pop–inspired fantasy, would further validate its strategy of pairing regional pop culture IP with globally targeted animation.

Co-directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the film centers on Rumi, Mira, and Joy, members of the fictional global girl group Huntress. On stage, they are trend-setting idols; off stage, they secretly wield supernatural powers to protect their fans and city from demonic threats. Since its Netflix debut, Korean outlets report that the film has surpassed 300 million views worldwide, underscoring the reach of K-pop–driven storytelling on streaming platforms.

Beyond the animated feature race, the film’s music has also earned recognition. Its song ‘GOLDEN’ recently won the Song – Animated Film category at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, a milestone celebrated on the official Instagram. Citing this momentum, AP and other U.S. outlets suggest that ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ could also emerge as a contender in the Oscars’ Best Original Song category, alongside its animated feature campaign.

Alongside the animated feature lineup, AMPAS released eligibility lists for the International Feature Film and Documentary categories. Eighty-six countries and regions submitted entries for international feature, with South Korea represented by Park Chan-wook’s ‘It Can’t Be Helped’.

Shortlists for the international feature and documentary categories are expected on December 16, after which all major categories, including animated feature, move toward final nominations. The complete list of nominees for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on January 22, 2026, with the ceremony scheduled for March 15 in Los Angeles.

Whether or not it ultimately claims an Oscar, ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ has already become a notable case study in how K-pop IP can intersect with global animation and awards circuits. For the Korean wave and the K-pop industry as a whole, the film’s journey—from Netflix original to Oscars-eligible feature and music award winner—opens the door for future idol-focused animated projects to pursue similar international recognition.