^{Credit: KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix, Sony Pictures Animation)}

Don't expect the 79th British Academy Film Awards to be much help in predicting next year's Best Animated Feature Oscar race. KPop Demon Hunters, which many currently have predicted as the Oscar frontrunner, has been deemed ineligible for BAFTA consideration. According to Deadline, this was due to the film's lack of a theatrical release in the U.K. before going to streaming. Although the film eventually played in U.K. theaters two months after its streaming debut in June, Netflix missed their window at the BAFTAs. 

Netflix filed an appeal under an "exceptional circumstances" clause, arguing that the film should qualify given its event screenings this past August and Halloween. BAFTA's Film Committee still ruled that KPop Demon Hunters didn't meet the eligibility requirements. Thankfully, KPop Demon Hunters has met the criteria to compete at the 98th Academy Awards. There's nothing standing in the film's way of competing at other major precursor awards like the Golden Globes and Critics' Choice Awards, either. It'll also be interesting to see if KPop Demon Hunters is at all eligible for the British Academy Television Awards. If so, it could still technically get nominated for a BAFTA, just not at the Film Awards. 

Netflix has been involved in three films that won the BAFTA for Best Animated Feature: Klaus, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, and Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. Where those films were seen as potential Oscar players early on, KPop Demon Hunters' success snuck up on Netflix. That might explain why they didn't have the foresight to ensure its BAFTA eligibility before sending it to streaming. This leaves the race open for Neon's Arco, GKIDS' Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, Disney's Zootopia 2, or Netflix's In Your Dreams to emerge as the BAFTA victor. KPop Demon Hunters is still widely pegged to dominate Best Animated Feature this award season, even if it won't be a clean sweep at the televised awards.   

It's worth noting that BAFTA doesn't have a Best Original Song category. So, it's not like the chart-topper "Golden" could've been nominated for a BAFTA, anyway. However, BAFTA does have a Best Original Score category, where KPop Demon Hunters might've been a contender. As far as music goes, Sinners and Wicked: For Good are expected to be KPop Demon Hunters' most formidable competition. KPop Demon Hunters, Sinners, and the first Wicked all got nominated for a few Grammys, although only "Golden" got nominated for Song of the Year. 

While fans might get upset at the BAFTAs for rejecting KPop Demon Hunters, Netflix didn't do themselves any favors with their straight-to-streaming release strategy. While Netflix gives films limited theatrical runs for awards consideration, they're only willing to do the bare minimum. They're a streaming service first and foremost. The fact that KPop Demon Hunters got a theatrical release after its streaming debut was somewhat unprecedented for Netflix. The film made over $20 million during its limited time in theaters, but imagine how much more it could've grossed with a longer big-screen release. Netflix arguably left millions on the table, not to mention a BAFTA. 

The 79th BAFTA Film Awards will take place on February 22, 2026. 

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1 and 2. Available Now!