KPop Demon Hunters Nominated for Oscar After Winning Grammy and Producers Guild Awards

The Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” was nominated for an Academy Award at the 98th Academy Awards ceremony on January 15, following a series of international film festival wins.

The 37th Producers Guild of America (PGA) Awards were held in Los Angeles on the 28th of last month, where Michelle Wong, the producer of “KPop Demon Hunters,” won the Award for Best Animated Theatrical Film Production. This follows her victory at the Golden Globe Awards in January for both the Animation Prize and the Song of the Year award, as well as her win at the Grammy Awards last month — the first time a K-pop-related work received an award there.

The film tells the story of a girl group known as “HUNTR/X,” who are demon hunters, fighting against a boy group called “Sazaboyz” that targets people’s souls. It was produced over seven years by directors Maggie Kang and Chris Applehanes. The character Hunter/X in the movie is voiced by Zoaden, Hong Mei, and Yu Ji-young, who protect fans from demons under the guise of music superheroes.

The production team employed innovative techniques that combined the atmosphere of K-dramas with the style of K-pop music videos. Layout director Randolph Lizarda explained that through various approaches to design and lighting, certain scenes were made to appear realistic while others focused purely on visual appeal. Special effects artist Alice Zhao brought the ultimate villain, “Gwima,” to life using a 2D/3D hybrid simulation workflow and custom volume filtering technology. Effects inspired by Sailor Moon, such as weapon manifestation, magic barriers, portals, and liquid simulations, further enhanced the final product.

The film gained massive popularity immediately after its release on Netflix, becoming the most-watched movie in the platform’s history. Limited sing-along special screenings sold out instantly. Its original soundtrack dominated music charts throughout the summer of 2025 and also won first place in the animation category at the VES Awards.

“KPop Demon Hunters” was nominated in the Best Animated Feature category at the 98th Academy Awards, with its theme song “Golden” also up for Best Original Song. Directors Maggie Kang and Chris Applehanes have arranged separate tickets for the Academy Awards ceremony to invite all members of the production crew. Discussions are currently underway to produce a sequel, with a release target of 2029.