Netflix's 'KPop Demon Hunters' emerges as strong Oscars contender for Best Animated Feature category

KPop Demon Hunters has been named as a potential contender for Best Animated Feature at the 2025 Academy Awards.

Directed by Chris Appelhans and Maggie Kang, the animated film was released by Netflix and features three K-pop idols—Rumi, Mira and Zoey—who secretly work as demon hunters. The story blends music and action with a supernatural theme and is set in a fantasy universe shaped by pop culture aesthetics.

The film includes original music, such as the track “Golden,” and showcases animation influenced by anime and contemporary K-pop visuals. .

KPop Demon Hunters was featured in Variety’s 2025 Oscars Awards Circuit column, which outlined contenders in multiple categories based on films released between January and June. Other films highlighted in the animated category included How to Train Your Dragon, among others.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is scheduled to announce official nominations for the 2025 Oscars in early January. 

Other early contenders across major Oscar categories include Sinners for Best Picture, Best Director, and multiple acting awards, led by Michael B. Jordan. F1, starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, is being considered in technical categories such as cinematography, visual effects, and editing.

The Ballad of Wallis Island is in the running for Best Original Score, while Snow White has been named in the Original Song category. 28 Years Later, Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning, and Warfare are among the titles gaining attention in makeup, sound, and production design categories.