{"id":7960550,"date":"2026-02-21T21:34:36","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T05:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/?p=7960550"},"modified":"2026-02-21T21:36:04","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T05:36:04","slug":"kpop-demon-hunters-dominates-annie-awards-winners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/industry-news\/awards\/kpop-demon-hunters-dominates-annie-awards-winners\/","title":{"rendered":"‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Nearly Sweeps Annie Awards With 10 Film Wins"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

\u201cKPop Demon Hunters\u201d sang and fought its way to total domination at the Annie Awards on Saturday, picking up 10 awards in the 12 film categories at the annual ceremony saluting animation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to winning in the Best Feature category, the Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix hit also picked up awards for direction, voice acting (for Arden Cho), writing, music, FX, character animation, character design, production design and editorial. It won in every category in which it was nominated, missing awards in only two feature categories: Best Feature \u2013 Independent, for which it wasn\u2019t eligible, and Best Storyboarding \u2013 Feature, for which it wasn\u2019t nominated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pixar\u2019s “Elio,” which was tied with “KPop Demon Hunters” with 10 nominations going into the show, went home empty-handed while the “KPop” hit “Golden” was played incessantly at the ceremony in UCLA’s Royce Hall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When presenter Larraine Newman opened the envelope to present the final award, she simply looked at the audience, nodded and said, “Say it with me: ‘KPop Demon Hunters.'”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The French film “Arco” won in the indie category, while “The Bad Guys 2” won for storyboarding.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\""KPop\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tRead Next<\/strong>
\n\t\t\tHow the Climactic 'What It Sounds Like' Scene Came Together in 'KPop Demon Hunters'<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Sweeps or near-sweeps are common at the Annie Awards, where Pixar\u2019s \u201cCoco\u201d holds the record with 11 wins and \u201cKPop Demon Hunters\u201d joins six other films \u2013 \u201cHow to Train Your Dragon,\u201d \u201cThe Incredibles,\u201d \u201cInside Out,\u201d \u201cKung Fu Panda,\u201d \u201cMulan\u201d and \u201cWallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit\u201d \u2013 in winning 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 24 years the Academy Awards established a Best Animated Feature category in 2001, 15 winners in the Annies\u2019 Best Feature category have gone on to win the animation Oscar, and one winner of the Annies\u2019 indie award has done so. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCommon Side Effects\u201d led all TV series with four wins, followed by \u201cWin or Lose\u201d and \u201cLove, Death + Robots\u201d with three each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other TV awards went to “Wow Lisa,” “The Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball” and “Bob\u2019s Burgers.” “Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical” won the award for Best Special Production, while “Snow Bear” won for Best Short Subject. “Snow Bear” was shortlisted but not nominated for the animated short Oscar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Annie Awards are put on by ASIFA-Hollywood, the Southern California chapter of the Association Internationale du Film d\u2019Animation. The ceremony also included the presentation of honorary awards to filmmakers Michael Dudok de Wit, Christopher Miller and Phil Lord, and Chris Sanders.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\""KPop\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tRead Next<\/strong>
\n\t\t\tWhy 'KPop Demon Hunters' Is a Netflix Viewership Unicorn<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Here is the complete list of winners:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Feature
<\/strong>\u201cKPop Demon Hunters\u201d
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Feature \u2013 Independent
<\/strong>\u201cArco\u201d
Remembers, MountainA France, France 3 Cin\u00e9ma<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Special Production<\/strong>
\u201cSnoopy Presents: A Summer Musical\u201d
WildBrain Studios in association with Apple<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Short Subject<\/strong>
\u201cSnow Bear\u201d
The Art of Aaron Blaise<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Sponsored<\/strong>
\u201cOlipop Yeti\u201d
Screen Novelties & Passion Pictures<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best TV\/Media \u2013 Preschool<\/strong>
\u201cWow Lisa\u201d
Episode: \u201cRainy Day\u201d
Punkrobot<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best TV\/Media \u2013 Children<\/strong>
\u201cThe Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball\u201d
Episode: \u201cThe Rewrite\u201d
Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best TV\/Media \u2013 Mature<\/strong>
\u201cCommon Side Effects\u201d
Episode: Pilot
Green Street Pictures, Bandera Entertainment and Williams Street Productions<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best TV\/Media \u2013 Limited Series<\/strong>
\u201cWin Or Lose\u201d
Episode: \u201cHome\u201d
Pixar Animation Studios<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Student Film<\/strong>
\u201cA Sparrow’s Song\u201d
Tobias Eckerlin
Filmakademie Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg GmbH<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best FX – TV\/Media<\/strong>
\u201cPrehistoric Planet: Ice Age\u201d
Episode: \u201cThe Big Freeze\u201d
Edward Ferrysienanda, Kevin Christensen, Guy Schuleman, Benedikt Roettger, Kevin Tarpinian
BBC Studios Natural History Unit
FX: Framestore<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best FX – Feature<\/strong>
\u201cKPop Demon Hunters\u201d
Filippo Macari, Nicola Finizio, Simon Corbaux, Naoki Kato, Daniel LaChapelle
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix
FX: Sony Pictures Imageworks<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Character Animation<\/strong> – TV\/Media<\/strong>
\u201cWin Or Lose\u201d
Alli Sadegiani
Pixar Animation Studios<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Character Animation \u2013 Feature<\/strong>
\u201cKPop Demon Hunters\u201d
Ryusuke Furuya
Sony Pictures Animation, Netflix<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Character Animation \u2013 Live Action<\/strong>
\u201cHow To Train Your Dragon\u201d
Kayn Garcia, Jean-Denis Haas, Meena Ibrahim, Nathan McConnel, Nick Tripodi
DreamWorks Animation
FX: Framestore<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Character Animation \u2013 Video Game<\/strong>
\u201cSouth of Midnight\u201d
Mike Jungbluth, Sebastien Dussault, Vincent Schneider, Remi Edmond
Compulsion Games<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Character Design<\/strong> – TV\/Media<\/strong>
\u201cLove, Death + Robots\u201d
Episode: \u201c400 Boys\u201d
Robert Valley
Blur Studio for Netflix<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Character Design \u2013 Feature<\/strong>
\u201cKPop Demon Hunters\u201d
Scott Watanabe, Ami Thompson
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Direction<\/strong> – TV\/Media<\/strong>
\u201cCommon Side Effects\u201d
Episode: \u201cCliff’s Edge\u201d
Vincent Tsui Productions<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Direction<\/strong> – FEATURE<\/strong>
\u201cKPop Demon Hunters\u201d
Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Music<\/strong> – TV\/Media<\/strong>
\u201cWin Or Lose\u201d
Episode: \u201cEpisode 6, Mixed Signals\u201d
Ramin Djawadi, Shane Eli, Johnny Pakfar
Pixar Animation Studios<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Music \u2013 Feature<\/strong>
\u201cKPop Demon Hunters\u201d
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Production Design<\/strong> – TV\/Media<\/strong>
\u201cLove, Death + Robots\u201d
Episode: \u201cHow Zeke Got Religion\u201d
Gigi Cavenago
Blur Studio for Netflix<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Production Design \u2013 Feature<\/strong>
\u201cKPop Demon Hunters\u201d
Helen Chen, Dave Bleich, Wendell Dalit, Scott Watanabe, Celine Kim
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Storyboarding<\/strong> – TV\/Media<\/strong>
\u201cLove, Death + Robots\u201d
Episode: \u201cHow Zeke Got Religion\u201d
Edgar Martins
Blur Studio for Netflix<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Storyboarding \u2013 Feature<\/strong>
\u201cThe Bad Guys 2\u201d
Anthony Holden, Young Ki Yoon
DreamWorks Animation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Voice Acting<\/strong> – TV\/Media<\/strong>
\u201cBob’s Burgers\u201d
Episode: \u201cDon’t Worry Be Hoopy\u201d
Dan Mintz (as Tina Belcher)
20th Television Animation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Voice Acting \u2013 Feature<\/strong>
\u201cKPop Demon Hunters\u201d
Arden Cho (as Rumi)
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Writing<\/strong> – TV\/Media<\/strong>
\u201cCommon Side Effects\u201d
Episode: Pilot
Joe Bennett, Steve Hely
Green Street Pictures, Bandera Entertainment, and Williams Street Productions \u25cb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Writing – Feature<\/strong>
\u201cKPop Demon Hunters\u201d
Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan, Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Editorial<\/strong> – TV\/Media<\/strong>
\u201cCommon Side Effects\u201d
Episode: \u201cRaid\u201d
Tony Christopherson, Joie Lim
Green Street Pictures, Bandera Entertainment, and Williams Street Productions \u25cb<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best Editorial \u2013 Feature<\/strong>
\u201cKPop Demon Hunters\u201d
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JURIED AWARDS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winsor McCay Award<\/strong>: Micha\u00ebl Dudok de Wit; Christopher Miller and Phil Lord; Chris  Sanders
June Foray Award<\/strong>: Sandy Rabins
Ub Iwerks Award<\/strong>: Wacom
Special Achievement Award<\/strong>: LightBox Expo
ASIFA-Hollywood Merit Award<\/strong>: Jeffrey New and Haley Mirren Douthit<\/p>\n\n\n

\n\t
\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Timoth\u00e9e\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tRead Next<\/strong>
\n\t\t\tHow Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet Can Turn a Loss Into an Oscars Win<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\n\t

\n\t\tBest Picture\t<\/h2>\n\t
\n\t\tContender<\/span>\n\t\tProbability<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
  1. \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOne Battle After Another<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tProbability:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t99%\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tNo change:<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t0% –<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t