(ATTN: UPDATES with Kang’s speech in paras 3-4)
“KPop Demon Hunters” has won Best Animated Feature at the 98th Academy Awards! The film triumphed in Los Angeles, beating out strong contenders including Disney’s “Zootopia 2” and Pixar’s “Elio.”
As the movie’s theme song “Golden” played, co-director Maggie Kang, wearing a red dress, took the stage alongside co-director Chris Appelhans and producer Michelle L.M. Wong. Kang’s voice broke with emotion during her acceptance speech.
“For those of you who look like me, I’m so sorry that it took us so long to see us in a movie like this,” said Kang, a Korean Canadian filmmaker. “But it is here, and that means that the next generation don’t have to go longing. This is for Korea and for Koreans everywhere.”
“KPop Demon Hunters” follows Huntr/x, who live a double life: pursuing their music careers while battling demonic spirits like the overlord Gwi-Ma and the soul-stealing Saja Boys.
The Sony Pictures Animation film, released on June 20 last year, quickly became a global phenomenon and Netflix’s most-watched movie of all time.
Building on its global success, the film also won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song at the Golden Globe Awards in January. Last month, it became the first K-pop-related work to receive Best Song Written for Visual Media at the Grammy Awards.
