^{Credit: KPop Demon Hunters (Netflix)}

Even after nearly a month, Sony Pictures Animation’s KPop Demon Hunters is still one of the most viewed movies on Netflix. That’s not the only chart the film has been dominating. The songs have become the buzziest for an animated feature since Encanto, its soundtrack being the highest charted of 2025 thus far, according to Billboard. The film also has a breakthrough single in “Golden,” which is currently No. 2 on the Billboard Global 200 behind Alex Warren’s “Ordinary.” Netflix has confirmed that “Golden” will be pushed for awards consideration. At the Oscars, KPop Demon Hunters could potentially submit multiple songs with two getting in, although “Golden” seems like the film’s best bet for a win.

For a period, animation ruled the Best Original Song category. In the 90s, six animated films won: The titular theme from Beauty and the Beast, “A Whole New World” from Aladdin, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King, “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas, “When You Believe” from The Prince of Egypt, and “You’ll Be In My Heart” from Tarzan. The 2000s only saw one winner from an animated film: “If I Didn’t Have You” from Monsters, Inc.. Granted, traditional animated musicals became less common in the early 21st century. Best Original Song also served as something of a consolation prize until Best Animated Feature was created that decade.

Animation made a comeback in Best Original Song the following decade with “We Belong Together” from Toy Story 3, “Let It Go” from Frozen, and “Remember Me” from Coco winning. We’ve yet to see a song from an animated film win in the 2020s. The only one that’s been nominated is "Dos Oruguitas" from Encanto, which many felt submitted the wrong song. It’s hard to say if “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” would’ve beaten Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell’s No Time to Die theme, but it would’ve made the race more interesting. Some thought Jack Black might get his first Oscar nomination for “Peaches” from The Super Mario Bros. Movie, although that viral hit didn’t even make the Oscar shortlist. Maren Morris’ “Kiss the Sky” from The Wild Robot came close, but couldn’t quite get off the ground.

With KPop Demon Hunters going from sleeper hit to sensation, it’d be surprising if “Golden” didn’t at least get nominated. If it won, it’d be the first animated song to do so since “Remember Me” and the first non-Disney/Pixar winner since “When You Believe.” It’d also be the first non-Disney/Pixar nominee since "Can't Stop the Feeling!" from Trolls. How does it stack up against the competition, though? Although the 98th Oscars are months away, Best Original Song seems like one of the easier categories to predict at this point.

Ryan Coogler’s vampire blockbuster Sinners is the closest thing we have to a Best Picture lock. With music being a key component of the narrative, Rod Wave’s titular song will likely be nominated. Part 1 of last year’s Wicked didn’t have any original songs, save a verse added to “One Short Day.” Wicked: For Good will expand upon the source material with two new songs, one for Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba and another for Ariana Grande’s Glinda. The two could split votes, although if there’s a consensus favorite, Stephen Schwartz may win his third Oscar. The Music Branch will also etch out a spot for Diane Warren, who has her most meta song submission to date with “Dear Me” from the documentary Diane Warren: Relentless.

This leaves “Golden” taking the fifth slot. While it’s difficult to predict what will win without hearing the two Wicked songs, this five seems like a safe bet. “Golden” was written by Ejae (Kim Eun-jae) and Mark Sonnenblick. Sonnenblick’s credits include the Emmy-nominated "Beautiful Things Can Grow" from Song of Parkland, “Camp Isn’t Home” from Theater Camp, and “Good Afternoon” from Spirited, the latter of which was shortlisted for Oscar consideration. If Ejae gets in for “Golden,” she’ll be only the second Best Original Song nominee of Korean descent after Karen O, who co-wrote “The Moon Song” from Her. Would that make “Golden” the first K-pop song to receive an Oscar nomination?

Some might debate this since Huntr/x is a fictional K-pop trio and KPop Demon Hunters is a U.S. production. I say that it counts, though, especially since Ejae is a K-pop artist. Plus, some would argue that the K-pop style isn’t exclusive to Korean or Asian artists. Just look at Alexandra Reid. Lisa of the South Korean girl group Blackpink participated in the James Bond tribute at the 97th Academy Awards, marking a first for K-pop singers. A nomination for “Golden” seems like the next natural step. Ejae also provides protagonist Rumi's singing voice in the film, meaning she could perform “Golden” on the Oscar telecast with Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami. We may be getting ahead of ourselves, but for now, KPop Demon Hunters is in a strong position for Oscar gold in not just Best Animated Feature, but Best Original Song as well.

Side Note: KPop Demon Hunters currently has six other songs on the Billboard Global 200 behind “Golden.” If Netflix decides to submit more than one song, these would likely be their best choices in descending order:

“Your Boys” (Saja Boys)

“Soda Pop” (Saja Boys)

“How It’s Done” (Huntr/x)

“What It Sounds Like” (Huntr/x)

“Take Down” (Huntr/x) 

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