The 98th Academy Awards handed out one of its most emotionally resonant wins of the night when KPop Demon Hunters took home the Best Animated Feature Film prize at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 15, 2026. The Netflix production became the first K-pop-related project to ever win in this category — and the acceptance speech left the entire room in chills.

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KPop Demon Hunters at Oscars 2026 — Key Facts

Detail	Info
Award Won	Best Animated Feature Film
Ceremony	98th Academy Awards (March 15, 2026)
Production	Netflix
Director	Maggie Kang
Also Won	Best Original Song (Golden)
Historic Achievement	First K-pop-related project to win this Oscar category
Sequel Status	Renewed, releasing 2029
Competitors Defeated	Arco, Elio, Little Amélie, Zootopia 2

KPop Demon Hunters: The Moment That Made Everyone Emotional

Director Maggie Kang stepped onto the Oscar stage alongside co-directors Chris Appelhans and Michelle L.M. Wong to a roaring crowd. Her speech instantly became one of the most memorable of the night. She thanked the Academy and the fans, then paused and spoke directly from the heart — addressing Koreans everywhere, acknowledging that it took far too long for a film like this to exist, and promising that future generations wouldn’t have to wait the same way.

It was raw. It was real. And for the millions of K-pop fans worldwide, it felt deeply personal.

Speaking to Variety afterwards, Maggie recalled how moved she was watching director Bong Joon Ho win Best Director for Parasite years ago — and how receiving this award now, for a culturally Korean animated film, felt like carrying that torch forward. She also admitted with a laugh that she was genuinely relieved not to have disappointed Korea.

A Double Win for K-Pop

The night wasn’t done. The film’s song Golden also won Best Original Song, with singer-songwriter EJAE delivering perhaps the most relatable line of the entire evening — noting that people once made fun of her for liking K-pop, and now everyone was singing along to their song at the Oscars. The K-pop Hallyu wave, which began as a pop culture movement decades ago, has now officially landed its first Oscar gold.

With a sequel already confirmed for 2029, the KPop Demon Hunters universe is just getting started.

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