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

68 songs were submitted for consideration at the 98th Academy Awards. Of them, thirteen songs were from animated films. Only one has made the Best Original Song shortlist. Unsurprisingly, it's "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters. Written by Ejae, Mark Sonnenblick, Ido, 24, and Teddy, "Golden" has already been nominated at the Critics' Choice Movie Awards and Golden Globes. It's also up for multiple Grammys, including Song of the Year. It's taken one step closer to an Oscar nomination, being among the fifteen shortlisted songs that'll advance to the next round. Check out the full list of shortlisted songs below:

“As Alive As You Need Me To Be” from Tron: Ares

“Dear Me” from Diane Warren: Relentless

“Dream As One” from Avatar: Fire and Ash

“Drive” from F1

“Dying To Live” from Billy Idol Should Be Dead

“The Girl In The Bubble” from Wicked: For Good

“Golden” from KPop Demon Hunters

“Highest 2 Lowest” from Highest 2 Lowest

“I Lied To You” from Sinners

“Last Time (I Seen The Sun)” from Sinners

“No Place Like Home” from Wicked: For Good

“Our Love” from The Ballad of Wallis Island

“Salt Then Sour Then Sweet” from Come See Me in the Good Light

“Sweet Dreams Of Joy” from Viva Verdi!

“Train Dreams” from Train Dreams

Best Original Song is the only category where an animated feature has been shortlisted this year, with the medium missing out in Best Original Score and Sound. Endless Cookie was left out of Best Documentary, while Latvia's Dog of God didn't make the Best International Feature Film lineup. Of course, animation also plays a key role in Best Visual Effects, where the shortlisted films are:

Avatar: Fire and Ash

The Electric State

F1

Frankenstein

Jurassic World Rebirth

The Lost Bus

Sinners

Superman

Tron: Ares

Wicked: For Good

According to Variety, Captain America: Brave New World, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, How to Train Your Dragon, Lilo & Stitch, Mickey 17, A Minecraft Movie, Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, Predator: Badlands, The Running Man, and Thunderbolts* were longlisted for Best Visual Effects, but they didn't advance to the the shortlist round. There isn't a shortlist round for Best Animated Feature, which has 35 submissions. The Oscar nominations will be announced on January 22, 2026. 

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