Netflix Animation “K-Pop Demon Hunters” Achieves Historic Success

Netflix’s animated film “K-Pop Demon Hunters” has achieved historic success both among critics and the general public. Since its release on Netflix last summer, the film has received widespread acclaim from critics and viewers. It was later added to the Criterion Collection, joining director Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” on the official film collection list.

Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, “K-Pop Demon Hunters” was recognized as Netflix’s best-rated film of 2025 and became the most-watched film in the streaming service’s history. The film won the Best Animated Feature award at the Golden Globe Awards and the Critics’ Choice Awards. Its soundtrack track “Golden” earned the honor of becoming the first K-pop song to win a Grammy Award. Produced by Sony Pictures Animation, the film swept all 10 categories it was nominated for at the 53rd Annie Awards.

It has also received nominations for Best Animated Feature and Original Song at the Academy Awards to be held later this year. E-JAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, who provided vocals for the fictional K-pop trio HUNTR/X in the film, performed at the 2026 BAFTA ceremony held at London’s Royal Festival Hall. Although the film was not nominated due to BAFTA’s residency requirements, the event organizers granted it a stage performance opportunity, acknowledging its “profound impact on the hearts and minds of audiences of all ages around the world.”

“The Golden” has had remarkable success. It stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 8 weeks, making HUNTR/X the first female group associated with K-pop to reach the top of the chart. It also held the number one position on the Billboard Global 200 chart for 18 weeks. The song won the Best Song for Visual Media award at the 68th Grammy Awards last February and has currently accumulated approximately 400 million streams. It received a double platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and ranked second on the IFPI 2025 Year-End Global Singles Chart, behind Rosé and Bruno Mars’s “APT.”