KPop Demon Hunters Earn Oscar Nominations for Best Original Song and Animated Feature
Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation’s ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Earns Oscar Nominations
On Thursday morning, Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation announced that their hit film KPop Demon Hunters has been nominated for Oscars in both the Original Song and Animated Feature categories. The film has enjoyed significant accolades this award season, having previously won in these categories at both the Critics Choice and Golden Globe Awards, establishing it as a formidable contender.
In the Original Song category, KPop Demon Hunters features the track “Golden,” performed by HUNTR/X — a collaboration of artists including EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami. The song, which topped Spotify charts, has also garnered four Grammy nominations, including Song of the Year. However, it faces stiff competition from “I Lied to You,” a song by the film Sinners, performed by breakout cast member Miles Caton and written by Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson. The latter has also received recognition at the Critics Choice and Golden Globe Awards, having been named Best Song at the Hollywood Music Media Awards.
Another song from Sinners, “Last Time (I Seen the Sun),” also received a shortlist nomination but ultimately did not secure a spot in the final list. Additionally, Train Dreams, from Clint Bentley’s film of the same name, features a track co-written by composer Bryce Dessner and singer-songwriter Nick Cave.
The nominations unveiled a surprising shut-out, notably for “The Girl in the Bubble” from Wicked: For Good, performed by Ariana Grande’s Glinda and Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba track “No Place Like Home,” both penned by Stephen Schwartz.
A new contender emerges with “Sweet Dreams of Joy,” from the documentary Viva Verdi!, composed by Nicholas Pike and performed by opera star Ana María Martínez.
Longtime Oscar nominee Diane Warren received her 17th nomination for Original Song for “Dear Me,” performed by Kesha in the documentary Diane Warren: Relentless.
In the Animated Feature category, five nominees were selected from 35 eligible films. Among these is KPop Demon Hunters, which follows the global K-pop group HUNTR/X—comprising Rumi, Mira, and Zoey—as they navigate dual lives as entertainers and demon hunters.
The competition highlights formidable films, including the blockbuster Zootopia 2, directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard. Currently the ninth highest-grossing movie worldwide, Zootopia 2 has surpassed even Disney’s Inside Out 2 and previously won the Oscar in this category.
Disney continues to contend with Pixar’s Elio, which focuses on an 11-year-old boy obsessed with aliens, and Arco, directed by Ugo Bienvenu and produced by Natalie Portman.
Another noteworthy entry is Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, a French-language film adapted from Amélie Nothomb’s novel. Directed by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, it tells the story of a girl who unexpectedly recovers from a vegetative state on her second birthday.
Despite the apparent frontrunners, the outcome remains uncertain. The unpredictable nature of award shows was exemplified last year when Flow, a small dialogue-free film from Latvia, claimed the prize against higher-profile contenders, underlining that success at the Oscars often hinges on factors beyond box office numbers.
As the ceremony approaches on March 15th, the anticipation surrounding these nominations continues to build.
