“To all the fans who got us here, and for all of those who look like me, sorry that it took us so long to see ourselves in a movie like this,” Korean-Canadian director Maggie Kang said as she accepted the award alongside fellow director Chris Appelhans and writer Michelle L.M. Wong.
“But it is here, and that means the next generations don’t have to go longing.” She added: “This is for Korea and for Koreans everywhere.”
The win capped a remarkable year-long run for the film, which turned K-pop, Korean folklore and Korean storytelling into a global phenomenon. Since its release, KPop Demon Hunters has become Netflix’s most-watched film and built awards momentum with major wins at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards and the Grammys.
Produced by Sony Pictures Animation and released by Netflix, the film follows fictional K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey, who use secret powers to protect their fans from supernatural threats. Its soundtrack became a breakout success of its own, with “Golden” earning an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song and helping propel the film’s music into the mainstream.
Netflix last week officially announced a sequel, extending the momentum of a film that has already become one of the most culturally significant animated hits in recent years.
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