- Primary Subject: The historic Oscar victories of the animated film KPop Demon Hunters and its anthem "Golden."
- Key Update: KPop Demon Hunters won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song at the 98th Academy Awards.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: March 16, 2026
- Quick Answer: KPop Demon Hunters made history at the 98th Academy Awards by winning Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song, marking a cultural milestone for South Korean representation.
The global sensation KPop Demon Hunters managed to win two Oscars in the recent 98th Academy Awards ceremony, marking a historic achievement for the beloved animated musical.
Throughout the awards season, the film has been considered the main frontrunner to win Best Animated Feature Film, aside from being a critical and audience darling. It became the most-viewed Netflix original movie of all time, while the soundtrack and the single "Golden" topped the worldwide music charts, in addition to becoming a viral social media sensation.
How KPop Demon Hunters Made History in Their Oscar Wins
KPop Demon Hunters managed to win Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Song for "Golden" at the 98th Academy Awards, prevailing in both nominations they received.
With its victory in the Best Animated Feature Film award, Maggie Kang, the co-director of the film and one of the recipients, became the first filmmaker of Korean descent to win in the category.
This is also the second Sony Pictures Animation film to win the award, following Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It's also the fourth film in a row that a non-Disney project prevailed in the category.
Meanwhile, for its Best Original Story victory, "Golden" became the first-ever K-pop song to win in the category. EJAE, Rei Ami, and Audrey Nuna also performed the hit song during the ceremony, which saw the audience bopping their lightsticks.
EJAE is now also halfway into EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) with her Oscar victory. Earlier this year, she won a Grammy Award for the song as well.
"Growing up people made fun of me for liking K-pop, but now everyone is singing our song, and all the Korean lyrics. I’m so proud. I realized the song, the award. It’s not about success, it’s about resilience," she said in her speech.
Is KPop Demon Hunters 2 Already in the Works?
A sequel to KPop Demon Hunters is officially in the works, following its massive success since last year. Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans are returning to direct the follow-up.
"I feel immense pride as a Korean filmmaker that the audience wants more from this Korean story and our Korean characters. There’s so much more to this world we have built, and I’m excited to show you. This is only the beginning," Kang teased in the announcement.
So far, the plot details are still under wraps. There is also no release date set yet, but reports have indicated that it will likely be released as early as 2029.
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