Netflix’s animated series KPop Demon Hunters has secured a spot on the list of eligible contenders for the prestigious Academy Awards.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) unveiled on November 21 a roster of 35 films qualifying for the Best Animated Feature category at the upcoming 98th Academy Awards.
KPop Demon Hunters, which premiered on the streaming giant Netflix, fulfilled Oscar eligibility criteria by orchestrating limited theatrical screenings in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco last June.
Alongside KPop Demon Hunters, other contenders vying for this year’s Best Animated Feature include Disney’s Elio and Zootopia 2, as well as Japanese animated blockbusters Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle and Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc.
Netflix previously clinched its inaugural Academy Award for Best Animated Feature with Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio in 2022.
The official nominees for the Academy’s animated category will be revealed on January 22 of next year. Major U.S. media outlets, including the Associated Press, are buzzing with predictions of Kpop Demon Hunters’ strong potential to clinch victories in both the Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song categories. The star-studded Academy Awards ceremony is slated for March 15 next year.
