K-Pop Demon Hunters Wins Big at Oscars 2026: A Must-Read Guide to the Film’s Success

Daniel Kim 2026.03.16 Views

Photo=GettyImagesKorea

[Sports Today reporter Kim Tae-hyung] ‘K-pop Demon Hunters’ swept two Oscars at the 98th Academy Awards, taking home Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song — but the night was marred when music signaled winners to wrap up their acceptance remarks.

On the 16th (Korean time), the 98th Academy Awards were held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

That evening, Netflix’s animated feature ‘K-pop Demon Hunters’ beat fellow nominees ‘Zootopia 2’, ‘Arco’, ‘Elio’ and ‘Little Amelie’ to claim Best Animated Feature.

Co-director Maggie Kang made history as the first director of Korean descent to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and the third Asian director to win in the category. Kang thanked the Academy and everyone who helped bring the film to the stage, apologizing that it took so long to see protagonists who look like her on screen. \”Hopefully the next generation won’t have to wait this long,\” she said, dedicating the win to Korea and Koreans around the world.

The surprises didn’t end there. Lee Jae, Audrey Nuna and Ray Ami — the vocalists behind the film’s fictional girl group HUNTRIX — performed the original song \”Golden\” during the celebration, prompting raucous cheers. Twenty-four dancers in hanbok filled the stage with traditional drumming and choreography, showcasing K-culture at the Dolby Theatre. Even Hollywood stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Emma Stone stood and waved light sticks, turning the moment into something resembling a K-pop concert.

Photo=GettyImagesKorea

‘K-pop Demon Hunters’ also won Best Original Song for \”Golden,\” beating nominees that included Diane Warren’s \”Dear Me,\” \”I Lied to You\” from Sinners, ‘Train Dreams’ and \”Sweet Dreams of Joy\” from Viva Verdi!.

Holding the trophy, Lee Jae thanked the Academy for the honor. He recalled being teased for liking K-pop and noted that now \”everyone sings along in Korean.\” He said the award represents more than commercial success — it’s about endurance and resilience — and he fought back tears as he thanked his family and supporters.

Several people associated with \”Golden\” joined Lee Jae on stage, but music played to signal the end of remarks as he spoke. The move appeared to be driven by the Academy’s live-broadcast time constraints, and left several winners unable to finish their speeches, drawing disappointment.

Broadcaster An Hyun-mo expressed frustration on air, noting that Best Short Film speeches had been allowed to run long. Netizens reacted angrily online, with comments ranging from \”Isn’t this racism?\” to \”They don’t do racism outright anymore; they do it indirectly,\” and \”They were just reading from notes — that’s too much.\”

Meanwhile, ‘K-pop Demon Hunters’ follows K-pop girl group HUNTRIX as they battle evil spirits to save the world. Since its June release last year, the film has surpassed 500 million global views, overtaking ‘Squid Game’ to become Netflix’s most-watched title to date. The soundtrack \”Golden\” also dominated charts, spending eight weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and four consecutive weeks atop the U.K. charts.