Is it going to be a golden year for anime at the Oscars?
In its 98-year history, the Academy Awards has recognized only a handful of anime titles — and never with more than one nomination per film. That could finally change with Netflix‘s global sensation “KPop Demon Hunters,” the animated musical-action hybrid that has become the most-watched film in the platform’s history.
Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the film fuses anime-inspired visuals with K-pop choreography and supernatural storytelling. It follows a world-touring girl group who moonlight as demon slayers, balancing stadium shows with sword fights. What began as a genre experiment is now a cultural juggernaut and a serious Oscar contender.
Since debuting on Netflix on June 20, “KPop Demon Hunters” has amassed 236 million views, surpassing the previous record holder, “Red Notice” (230.9 million). It also received a theatrical rollout to meet the Academy’s eligibility requirements, opening in select theaters in California and New York. This past weekend, it netted the streamer its first No. 1 debut at the box office with an estimated $18 million.
For animation fans and Oscar watchers, the potential significance of “KPop” goes beyond view counts.
Despite a long history of artistic excellence, anime remains underrepresented at the Oscars. Only 11 anime films have received any Academy recognition — including just two winners in the animated feature category: Hayao Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away” (2003) and “The Boy and the Heron” (2024), and one animated short, “La Maison en Petits Cubes” (2008). The other nominated films include animated features “Howl’s Moving Castle” (2005), “The Wind Rises” (2013), “The Tale of Princess Kaguya” (2014), “When Marnie Was There” (2015), “The Red Turtle” (2016) and “Mirai” (2018), and the animated shorts “Mt. Head” (2002) and “Possessions” (2013).
A potential double nomination for “KPop Demon Hunters” — in both best animated feature and original song (which Netflix has confirmed would be the chart-topper “Golden”) — would be historic for anime at the Oscars. No anime film has earned more than one nomination in the same year. While the film is a Korean story, it has the DNA of an anime feature.
Arden Cho, who voices Rumi, told Variety during a game of “How Well Do They Know Each Other?” she felt a personal connection to the character from the beginning. “Rumi reminded me of myself — always wanting to be perfect, even when that wasn’t good for her,” Cho says. “Her growth comes from learning empathy, even for her demons, and that’s something I relate to deeply.”
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Unlike traditional American animated fare, “KPop Demon Hunters” — produced by Sony Pictures Animation — blends Eastern storytelling traditions with universal themes of identity, sisterhood and self-discovery while maintaining a distinct Korean cultural lens. Its vibrant soundtrack, cutting-edge animation and tightly choreographed action sequences have earned praise, evidenced by well-attended sing-alongs.
Variety’s chief film critic Peter Debruge called it a “high-energy, high-concept supernatural action comedy.”
Netflix has confirmed the submission of the original song “Golden,” written by Ejae and Mark Sonnenblick. While very early in the Oscar race, it is widely expected to be among the 15 shortlisted songs, to be announced in December, before competing for one of five Oscar nominations in the category, which are voted on by the Academy’s Music Branch. The song has charted globally and could provide a path to a second nomination and an anime milestone. It also helps the movie was among the first seven to debut on the Academy Screening Room, the digital portal for member consideration.
Ejae, who provides Rumi’s singing voice and co-wrote original music for the film, described the project as a rare opportunity to merge K-pop and anime influences. “I just thought about every cool girl group I grew up with — from 2NE1 to Girls’ Generation to Blackpink — and tried to bring those energies into Rumi’s songs,” Ejae said. “That mix of sounds was such a big inspiration.”
Composer Marcelo Zarvos, a musician with two Emmy nominations (“Taking Chance” and “You Don’t Know Jack”) and a resume that includes theatrical work like “Fences,” could also find himself in contention for his first career Oscar nomination.
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However, another potential question is emerging in the awards conversation: Will Netflix submit a second (or third) song for consideration?
According to Academy rules, a film may submit up to three original songs for consideration. While all three can be shortlisted, only two can ultimately be nominated. This move could have both risks and rewards. Consider the case of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” — which successfully submitted three songs, including the Oscar-winning “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, along with “I’m Just Ken” (also nominated), and Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night.” All three made the shortlist, but Lipa’s number was left off the final nomination list.
The “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack continues to dominate the Billboard Hot 100. As of this week’s charts, four songs from the album are now in the top 10 simultaneously — the first time that has happened for any soundtrack album in the history of the Hot 100. “Golden” remains at No. 1 for a second week, along with “Your Idol,” which repeats at No. 4, and “Soda Pop,” which moves up five spots to No. 5. The fresh addition to the top 10 that allowed the soundtrack to make history with four top 10 slots is “How It’s Done,” which got a four-spot boost to land at No. 10 this week.
Discussions are reportedly under way about whether to submit a second song from “KPop Demon Hunters” — perhaps a track such as “What It Sounds Like,” written by EJae. However, concerns about potential vote-splitting remain. Some point to the snubs of songs from John Carney’s 2016 film “Sing Street” — “Drive It Like You Stole It” and “Go Now” — as cautionary examples. Not to mention, the upcoming “Wicked: For Good” from Universal Pictures has already been confirmed by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande to have two original numbers for their characters Elphaba and Glinda, both penned by Stephen Schwartz.
Netflix, which previously won the animated feature Oscar with “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” (2022), has also come close in other years with “Klaus” and “The Mitchells vs. the Machines.” But “KPop Demon Hunters” may be its best shot yet at an animated awards breakthrough — especially in a year when traditional animation powerhouses have struggled to produce dominant contenders.
With Pixar’s “Elio” underwhelming at the box office and no clear front-runner in sight, the field feels unusually open. Disney’s upcoming “Zootopia 2” could shake things up and will have a new song from Colombian superstar Shakira, who returns to voice the singing character Gazelle. Nonetheless, with a Nov. 26 release date, momentum currently favors Netflix’s anime-inspired hit.
The Academy’s animation branch also allows members from other branches to opt in for voting, creating greater opportunity for films like “KPop Demon Hunters” to build broader support. Its crossover appeal positions it well for major precursor awards, too.
The Golden Globes used to recognize animated feature films in the best picture (comedy or musical) category. There have been 10 nominated in Globes history — “The Little Mermaid” (1989), “Beauty and the Beast” (1991), “Aladdin” (1992), “The Lion King” (1994), “Toy Story” (1995), “Toy Story 2” (1999), “Chicken Run” (2000), “Shrek” (2001), “Finding Nemo” (2003) and “The Incredibles” (2004). Only three have won — “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion King” and “Toy Story 2.” This was before the creation of the Globes’ own animated feature category, which came about in 2006.
When the award was initially created, animated feature films were no longer eligible for best picture (comedy or musical), but in 2022, the group changed the rules to allow the films to compete there again. Despite the change, highly regarded animated films such as “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and “The Wild Robot,” which became the most nominated animated film in Globes history with four nominations, did not make the cut for best picture in their respective years. Perhaps this year, that could change, especially with six slots available to voters.
For decades, anime has been beloved by global audiences but largely overlooked by major awards bodies. Outside of Studio Ghibli, most Japanese and anime-influenced films have struggled to gain serious recognition — often because of lingering biases favoring Western animation styles and storytelling conventions.
A breakthrough for “KPop Demon Hunters” could finally challenge that dynamic. Beyond its box office/streaming performance and fandom, the film’s real power lies in how it redefines what animated cinema can be. It’s a global and cultural hybrid. Most importantly, it’s not rooted in the same formulas that have historically dominated the animated feature category.