KPop Demon Hunters is on its way to secure an Oscar.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently released its official list of 35 films eligible for the Animated Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards next year. KPop Demon Hunters, the Netflix pop culture phenomenon that, as of writing, has racked up more than 541 million hours viewed worldwide, is among the films that made the cut.
The animated hit, produced by Sony Pictures Animation, is joined by worthy contenders such as Disney’s Zootopia 2 and Elio, as well as Crunchyroll/Sony’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle and Chainsaw Man. Netflix has a second animated film, In Your Dreams, in the running as well. Interestingly, the Chinese animated feature Ne Zha 2, which grossed more than $2 billion worldwide and was deemed the highest-earning film of 2025, was not included on the Academy’s shortlist.
Despite its over-the-top concept (K-pop idols fighting each other to the death), KPop Demon Hunters did much better than initially expected. It is the highes-charting soundtrack of the year, with eight of its tracks continuing to stake their claim on the Billboard Top 100. In fact, as of writing, “Golden” has maintained its No. 1 spot on the Billboard Global 200 for the 16th week in a row, with 110 million streams worldwide. The song is also one of the songs being submitted for the Academy’s Original Song Category.
It’s important to note that KPop Demon Hunters’ shortlisting for the Animated Feature Film category does not mean it’s been nominated just yet. Academy members must still vote to determine five nominees, and those won’t be announced until nomination morning on January 22, 2026.
The 98th Academy Awards are set to take place on March 15, 2026.
