KPop Demon Hunters wins Oscars for best animated film and best original song

## Summary
Advertisement Entertainment KPop Demon Hunters wins Oscars for best animated film and best original song Netflix's big blockbuster follows HUNTR/X, a Korean girl group that battles otherworldly demons, a rival boy band and their lead singer's own shame. Rei Ami, from left, Ejae, Audrey Nuna arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, Mar 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/John Locher) 16 Mar 2026 08:35AM (Updated: 16 Mar 2026 10:15AM) Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST KPop Demon Hunters won two Academy Awards, best animated feature film and best original song, on Monday (Mar 16), Singapore time, capping a culturally defining run that has placed the musical-action movie atop both box-office and music charts. KPop Demon Hunters won big at many of the precursors, including the Producers Guild Awards and the Golden Globes.

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KPop Demon Hunters wins Oscars for best animated film and best original song
Netflix's big blockbuster follows HUNTR/X, a Korean girl group that battles otherworldly demons, a rival boy band and their lead singer's own shame.
Rei Ami, from left, Ejae, Audrey Nuna arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, Mar 15, 2026, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/John Locher)
16 Mar 2026 08:35AM
(Updated: 16 Mar 2026 10:15AM)
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KPop Demon Hunters won two Academy Awards, best animated feature film and best original song, on Monday (Mar 16), Singapore time, capping a culturally defining run that has placed the musical-action movie atop both box-office and music charts. Golden is the first K-pop song to win an Oscar.
Netflix's big blockbuster follows HUNTR/X, a Korean girl group that battles otherworldly demons, a rival boy band and their lead singer's own shame. Its choppy animation style, which combines 2D anime aesthetics with 3D CGI stylisations, underscores the high-octane action. The soundtrack, led by the Grammy-winning hit Golden, landed eight songs on the Billboard Hot 100. Alongside all the demon-slaying and choreography is a creative tale of self-acceptance that blends Korean mythology and K-pop idol culture.
The win further demonstrates the global influence of South Korean pop culture. The film's fantastical world, where the only force standing between evil spirits and humanity is one snack-loving vocal trio, inspired many children’s Halloween costumes in the United States. The HUNTR/X singers – Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami – gained hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, performed at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and appeared alongside Bad Bunny on the Saturday Night Live season premiere.
Arden Cho, who provided the speaking voice for Rumi, was named one of The Associated Press' Breakthrough Entertainers of 2025.
The film's victory came as little surprise to those following awards season. The other nominees – Arco, Elio, Little Amelie Or The Character Of Rain and Zootopia 2 – had racked up a few prizes at the shows leading up to the Oscars. KPop Demon Hunters won big at many of the precursors, including the Producers Guild Awards and the Golden Globes.
The recognition continues voters' celebration of original animated stories that don't adapt existing intellectual property. Recent winners include Hayao Miyazaki's The Boy And The Heron and the Latvian film Flow.
Maggie Kang, one of the film's directors, has said she wanted to fully immerse viewers in its Korean setting rather than explain certain elements for Western audiences. By “throwing people into the deep end of a culture”, she previously told the AP, it is easier to break down barriers. “If you don’t shine a light on it, it just becomes more easily accepted,” she said.
Source: AP/hq
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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- Arden Cho, who provided the speaking voice for Rumi, was named one of The Associated Press' Breakthrough Entertainers of 2025.

### Areas for Consideration
N/A

### Implications
- Advertisement Entertainment KPop Demon Hunters wins Oscars for best animated film and best original song Netflix's big blockbuster follows HUNTR/X, a Korean girl group that battles otherworldly demons, a rival boy band and their lead singer's own shame.
- Netflix's big blockbuster follows HUNTR/X, a Korean girl group that battles otherworldly demons, a rival boy band and their lead singer's own shame.
- The win further demonstrates the global influence of South Korean pop culture.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers fast, film, korean topics. Notable strengths include discussion of fast. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 584.