 |
| ▲ Director Maggie Kang (C) speaks after winning Best Animated Feature for her animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" at the 31st Critics Choice Awards on Jan. 4, 2026, in Santa Monica, California, in this Reuters photo. (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Jan. 5 (Yonhap) -- Netflix's hit animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" has clinched two prizes at the Critics Choice Awards, winning Best Animated Feature and Best Song.
Netflix's Korean original series "Squid Game" has won the Best Foreign Language Series award for its third season.
Directed by Korean Canadian filmmaker Maggie Kang, "KPop Demon Hunters" was named Best Animated Feature at the 31st Critics Choice Awards held Sunday (local time) in Santa Monica, California. It beat out major studio contenders, including Disney's "Zootopia 2" and Pixar's "Elio," as well as "In Your Dreams" and "Arco."
 |
| ▲ Audrey Nuna, Ejae and Rei Ami (from L to R), winners of the award for best song for "Golden," pose for photos during the 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards on Jan. 4, 2026, at The Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California, in this AFP photo. (Yonhap) |
"KPop Demon Hunters" also secured the Best Song award for "Golden," adding a second trophy on the night.
The American film tells the story of a fictional K-pop girl group, Huntr/x, who uses their music to fight evil spirits and save the world.
By topping high-profile titles from traditional animation powerhouses Disney and Pixar, the film has boosted its profile in the run-up to the Academy Awards, where it is now seen as a strong contender.
After the winner of Best Song was announced, Ejae, the Korean American singer-songwriter of "Golden," took the stage to receive the award.
"When writing the song, I found myself living vicariously through my character Rumi," she said with a trembling voice. "The song needed to be an expression of hope to convince herself that she could rise and reach for her dreams. In many ways, it did the same for me. But most importantly for it to be giving hope to so many people around the world is truly the greatest honor."
 |
| ▲ This image, provided by Netflix, is a scene from "KPop Demon Hunters." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
Moments later, "KPop Demon Hunters" was announced as the winner of Best Animated Feature, drawing cheers from the audience. The film's crew, along with voice actors and vocal performers including South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun, joined director Maggie Kang onstage to celebrate the win.
In her acceptance speech, Kang reflected on the long journey behind the film.
"The movie's journey started seven years ago as a personal love letter to my Korean culture, to the power of music, and to anybody who is trying to juggle and balance the person who they are really on the inside with who the world wants them to be," she said. "We really want to thank fans for finding this movie and supporting us from the very beginning."
 |
| ▲ This image, provided by Netflix, is a scene from "Squid Game" Season 3. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
"Squid Game" won the Best Foreign Language Series award for its third season during the ceremony, beating out rival nominees "Acapulco" and "Last Samurai Standing."
It marks the third time the popular series has won the award after it previously took home the honor in 2022 for its first season and in 2025 for the second season. Its lead, Lee Jung-jae, won Best Actor in a Drama Series in 2022.
The third and final season picks up directly from the second season's cliffhanger, following Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), who, after a failed rebellion and the loss of his comrades, is driven by guilt and rage to destroy the deadly game from within.
South Korean director Park Chan-wook's film "No Other Choice" was nominated in the categories of Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Foreign Language Film but failed to take home both awards.
Those honors went to the Brazilian thriller "The Secret Agent" and director-writer Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another," respectively.
sshim@yna.co.kr
(END)
(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved
