Netflix’s animated film KPop Demon Hunters triumphed at the 31st Critics Choice Awards, winning Best Animated Feature and Best Song for “Golden.” The film, directed by Korean-Canadian filmmaker Maggie Kang, beat major competitors including Disney’s Zootopia 2 and Pixar’s Elio.
The story follows a fictional K-pop girl group, Huntr/x, who use their music to fight evil spirits and save the world. Singer-songwriter Ejae, who performed “Golden,” dedicated the song to giving hope to audiences worldwide. Director Kang praised fans and reflected on the seven-year journey of creating a personal love letter to Korean culture and the power of music.
In addition, Netflix’s Korean series Squid Game won Best Foreign Language Series for its third season, marking its third Critics Choice Award win in this category. The season continues the story of Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) as he seeks to destroy the deadly game from within after a failed rebellion.
Meanwhile, South Korean director Park Chan-wook’s film No Other Choice was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Foreign Language Film but lost to Brazil’s The Secret Agent and Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, respectively.
