These Two Films Might Be The Only Ones That Could Upset KPop Demon Hunters At The Oscars

KPop Demon Hunters is the favorite to win two Academy Awards at this year's Oscars ceremony, but there are two films that could potentially upset the Netflix hit. Since debuting on the streaming service last year, KPop Demon Hunters has become a major hit with broader audiences and critics alike, earning two Academy Award nominations.

That success may help bring more eyes to the Oscars, where the film is up for "Best Song" and "Best Animated Feature." However, while it's the heavily favored winner, big upsets aren't unheard of at the Oscars. In fact, there are two critical darlings (including one of the year's biggest films) that could snag those awards instead.

Arco Could Fly Away With The Best Animated Feature Oscar

In any other year, Arco would be a likely frontrunner for the Best Animated Feature prize at the Academy Awards, but KPop Demon Hunters changed the equation this year. After a lengthy winning streak by Disney and Pixar in the 2010s (broken up only twice across the entire decade), the category has been far more competitive in recent years.

That's consistent with two of the critically acclaimed entries this year, Arco and Zootopia 2. In that race, Arco's Hollywood backing, Studio Ghibli's influenced visuals, and powerful storytelling would have likely given it an edge over the fun mystery narrative from Disney. However, KPop Demon Hunters was too big of a hit to ignore.

Especially after it so thoroughly dominated the pop culture conversation, KPop Demon Hunters seems like a natural winner. It helps that the film is also incredibly well-made and a complete blast, setting itself up to be a worthy winner. If anything is going to upset it (and would arguably deserve the award just as much), it would be Arco.

It's a terrific story that can match KPop Demon Hunters' musical charm and stylized approach with emotional depth and visual wonders, but even then, it feels like a long shot. KPop Demon Hunters has been a dominant force in pop culture all year, and that will likely carry it to the finish line for Best Animated Feature.

Sinners Could Pull A Huge Upset By Winning Over "Golden"

It's been impossible to escape KPop Demon Hunters since the summer, with the film's debut on Netflix turning the soundtrack into a series of radio hits. "Golden" was a genuine Billboard chart topper, serving as a good representation of the soundtrack as a whole while also being just a great song on its own merits.

For much of the build-up to the nominations, it seemed like "Golden" was going to likely benefit from a three-pronged race with "I Lied To You" from Sinners and one of the original songs from Wicked: For Good. However, the musical sequel struggled with critics in comparison to the previous year.

While the musical sequel was a blockbuster success for Universal, the strong competition edged it out of the nominations. As a result, "I Lied To You" has seen a surge in its chances. That's before even getting into the fact that Sinners' nomination in this category is just one of many that the film earned.

If Sinners keeps picking up steam at other awards ceremonies, it could become a juggernaut on Oscar night. Given that Sinners dominated the awards with a record-setting 16 nominations, it wouldn't be impossible for "I Lied To You," a genuinely transcendent moment in one of the best movies of 2025, to snag the win.

It could even come as part of a tidal wave of support for the movie, which is expected to do well. However, that momentum has been blunted somewhat by One Battle After Another, which is still expected by many to be the frontrunner for plenty of awards. This might undercut momentum spilling into every other category.

"I Lied To You" only suffers because of the competition. "Golden" became more than a great scene in a fantastic film. No matter how good "I Lied To You" is — and it is really good — it's hard to compete with the song of the summer. A Sinners win at the Oscars, while possible, would be an upset for the ages.