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There’s no doubt KPop Demon Hunters<\/em><\/a> is a pop-culture sensation. Since Netflix’s surprise animated hit dropped two months ago, you likely can’t go a day without belting the words to its addictive single, “Golden<\/a>,” or coming across various fan art<\/a>, song covers<\/a>, or dance challenges online<\/a>. Already Netflix’s biggest original animated feature ever and the second-most-streamed English original movie of all time, the Sony Pictures Animated-produced film has achieved the rare feat of being universally beloved by critics (a 97 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes<\/a>) and audiences alike.<\/p>\n But can KPop Demon Hunters<\/em>, which quickly sold out this weekend’s limited sing-along theatrical run, turn its seemingly unstoppable momentum into Oscar nominations at the 98th Academy Awards?<\/p>\n More from Gold Derby<\/strong><\/p>\n The short answer: absolutely.<\/p>\n Directed and written by Maggie Kang<\/strong> and Chris Appelhans<\/strong>, KPop Demon Hunters<\/em> is an animated film that seems to buck every traditional awards trend. It centers on the fictional female K-pop trio Huntr\/x, whose members \u2014 Rumi (Arden Cho<\/strong>), Mira (May Hong<\/strong>), and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo<\/strong>) \u2014 secretly moonlight as demon hunters to keep a magical barrier, known as the “honmoon,” from breaking apart. Their powerful singing voices are the key to sealing off the human world from the demons that threaten to infiltrate it. Huntr\/x meets their match when they face off against the Saja Boys, a rival demon boy group whose main mission is to weaken the seal and let the supernatural baddies in.<\/p>\n If the likelihood of an Oscar nomination was measured solely by cultural impact, KPop Demon Hunters<\/em> would be the biggest shoo-in at this early stage in the Academy Awards conversation. Predicting the actual probability it has to score a nomination \u2014 where its best shots are Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song (and possibly even Best Picture if the cards align) \u2014 is not as cut and dry, though the film has every cog in the awards machine working for it. Netflix’s decision to put its weight (and resources) behind the film \u2014 submitting the crowd-pleasing \u201cGolden\u201d for Best Original Song, for instance \u2014 helps its prospects immensely.<\/p>\n Voiced by an Asian-led cast, the film\u2019s seven original K-pop tracks (written and produced by K-pop veterans like Teddy<\/strong>) have all become bona fide pop hits in their own right. \u201cGolden\u201d continues to top the Billboard<\/em> 100 singles chart, while the soundtrack album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard<\/em> 200. Other tunes, such as \u201cYour Idol\u201d and \u201cSoda Pop,\u201d continue to dominate the streaming and Billboard<\/em> charts. Legitimizing the film\u2019s overall message and execution are stamps of approval from the very K-pop idols who inspired Huntr\/x and the Saja Boys, from BTS<\/strong> and TXT<\/strong> to Ateez<\/strong> and Twice<\/strong> (the latter of whom covers the original song \u201cTakedown\u201d), to name just a few.<\/p>\n KPop Demon Hunters<\/em> has also been lauded for its bold and vivid animation, thanks in part to Sony Pictures Animation\u2019s signature pop art style it\u2019s become known for through the Oscar-nominated Spider-Verse <\/em>movies; engaging storytelling beats; and strong, fully realized characters. In a year where the animated Oscar race is wide open<\/a>, no other animated film \u2014 Pixar\u2019s middling Elio<\/em><\/a> or Chinese billion-dollar blockbuster sequel Ne Zha 2<\/em><\/a> (an A24 English release Aug. 22 with Michelle Yeoh <\/strong>could provide a box-office bump), for instance \u2014 has garnered as much attention as KPop Demon Hunters. <\/em>That may end up playing into its favor, giving Academy voters no choice but to consider the Netflix hit more seriously when it comes time to fill out their ballots.<\/p>\n Netflix has such confidence in the film’s prospects that the streamer made KPop Demon Hunters<\/em> one of the first features available<\/a> on the Academy’s Screening Room platform for voters to watch.<\/p>\n For now, KPop Demon Hunters <\/em>holds the key to its Oscar destiny. If it manages to ride out the second half of the year, when several high-profile animated features are slated to hit theaters (see: Scarlet, Arco, In Your Dreams<\/em>, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle<\/a><\/em>, and Zootopia 2<\/em>), there\u2019s a very good chance it will find itself as one of the five nominees for Best Animated Feature when nominations are announced Jan. 22, 2026.<\/p>\n If the nominations do break its way, KPop Demon Hunters<\/em> would have the chance to be the first Asian-led film outside of Hayao Miyazaki<\/strong>‘s seminal Studio Ghibli to win Best Animated Feature in the two decades the statuette has been presented.<\/p>\n “It would be such an honor,\u201d Cho told Gold Derby<\/a> of the awards buzz surrounding KPop Demon Hunters, <\/em>admitting \u201cit\u2019s still registering.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact that we went from making a movie that I think we all really loved and cared about to it developing into this phenomenon worldwide, to what is quickly becoming an Oscar and awards run,\u201d Yoo said. \u201cI\u2019m just along for the ride and I\u2019ll process it all after.\u201d<\/p>\n Best of Gold Derby<\/strong><\/p>\n Sign up for Gold Derby’s Newsletter<\/a>. 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