KPop Demon Hunters and Frankenstein Score Major Wins at the Oscars - Netflix Tudum

  • Awards

    Frankenstein and KPop Demon Hunters Are Officially Oscar-Winning Films

    All the Empty Rooms and The Singers also took home the coveted gold statues.

    By Madeleine Saaf-Welsh
    March 16, 2026

The 2026 Academy Award winners have finally been announced after a year of cinematic excellence. Among the winning films was Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, which received awards across three craft categories. Costume designer Kate Hawley; makeup and hair designers Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel and Cliona Furey; and production designer Tamara Deverell and set decorator Shane Vieau were all recognized for their contributions to the gothic adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic gothic novel. Best Supporting Actor nominee Jacob Elordi (the Creature) cheered from the front row as they accepted their awards. Deverell took a moment in her speech to speak directly to del Toro: “Thank you for your humanity and your artistry. You are truly a master storyteller. It was an honor for us to help steer your fantastic operatic ship.” 

Kate Hawley stands on stage at the 98th Oscars which were held on Sunday, March 15, at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, California.

Kate Hawley accepting the Costume Design award for "Frankenstein"

Photo by Stewart Cook / Disney via Getty Images
(L-R) Jordan Samuel, Mike Hill, and Cliona Furey accept the Makeup and Hairstyling award for "Frankenstein" onstage during the 98th Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, California.

Jordan Samuel, Mike Hill, and Cliona Furey accept the Makeup and Hairstyling award for "Frankenstein"

Photo by Kevin Winter / Getty Images
Tamara Deverell (L) and Shane Vieau pose backstage with the Production Design Award for “Frankenstein” during the 98th Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, California.

Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau backstage after accepting the Production Design Award for “Frankenstein”

Photo by Richard Harbaugh / The Academy via Getty Images

For KPop Demon Hunters, which will be getting a sequel, the night capped off an awards season that can only be described as golden. The film won for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song, making “Golden” the first K-pop song to win an Oscar. The singing voices of the girl group at the center of the film — EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami as HUNTR/X — performed the chart-topping hit as the sea of nominees and guests in the live audience waved light sticks to the beat of the song. “Growing up, people made fun of me for liking K-pop, but now everyone’s singing our song and all the Korean lyrics,” said singer and songwriter EJAE. “I’m so proud. I realized that the song and this award [are] not about success, [they’re] about resilience.”

Maggie Kang, who co-directed KPop Demon Hunters with Chris Appelhans, also spoke about progress in Korean representation in film and animation. “For those of you who look like me, I am so sorry that it took us so long to see us in a movie like this,” she said as she accepted her Oscar. “But it is here, and that means that the next generations don’t have to go longing. This is for Korea, and for Koreans everywhere.” Appelhans echoed Kang’s sentiment, saying: “Music and stories have this power to connect us as humans across cultures and borders. So I just want to take a moment to say to all the young filmmakers, artists, musicians in all corners of the globe: Tell your story, sing in your voice. I promise you, the world is waiting.”

(L-R) Rei Ami, EJAE, and Audrey Nuna perform onstage during the 98th Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, California.

Rei Ami, EJAE, and Audrey Nuna perform “Golden” onstage during the 98th Oscars, which took home the award for Best Original Song

Photo by Kevin Winter / Getty Images
(L-R) Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans, and Michelle L.M. Wong, winners of the Best Animated Feature Film Award for “KPop Demon Hunters”, pose in the press room during the 98th Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, California.

Maggie Kang, Chris Appelhans, and Michelle L.M. Wong, winners of the Best Animated Feature Film Award for “KPop Demon Hunters”

Photo by Brianna Bryson / Getty Images

In the Best Documentary Short Film category, All the Empty Rooms was honored for its poignant lens on school shootings, bringing viewers into the rooms left behind by children whose lives were taken by gun violence. Director Joshua Seftel and producer Conall Jones accepted the Oscar and brought with them to the stage veteran journalist Steve Hartman and Gloria Cazales, whose daughter Jackie was killed at age 9 in the 2022 mass shooting at her elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. “Jackie is more than just a headline,” said Cazales. “She is our light and our life. Gun violence is now the No. 1 cause of death in kids and teens [in the United States]. We believe that if the world could see their empty bedrooms, we’d be a different America.” 

(L-R) Gloria Cazares, Joshua Seftel, Steve Hartman, and Conall Jones accept the Documentary Short Film award for "All the Empty Rooms" onstage during the 98th Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, California.

Gloria Cazares, Joshua Seftel, Steve Hartman, and Conall Jones accept the Documentary Short Film award for "All the Empty Rooms"

Photo by Kevin Winter / Getty Images
(L-R) David Breschel, Mike Yung, Sam Davis, and Jack Piatt accept the award for Best Live-Action Short for “The Singers” onstage during the 98th Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, California.

David Breschel, Mike Yung, Sam Davis, and Jack Piatt accept the award for Best Live-Action Short for “The Singers”

Photo by Frank Micelotta / Disney via Getty Images

Sam Davis’s The Singers tied for the win for Best Live Action Short Film with Two People Exchanging Saliva. “The Singers is a simple story about the power of music and art to bring us together in a moment when we live in an increasingly isolated world,” said Davis as he thanked those in his journey to his win, including Mike Yung, a New York City subway busker who joined him onstage. “May we keep looking for beauty in unexpected places, and may we all be brave enough to keep on singing.”

Related Tags

    All About

    • Cate Blanchett Honors Guillermo del Toro at BFI Fellowship Celebration
      Friends and collaborators gathered to celebrate the visionary’s career.
    • How Jacob Elordi and Mike Hill brought forth an unforgettable Creature.
    • Filmmaker Sam A. Davis on casting and crafting the Oscar-nominated short film.
    • The Oscar-nominated live action short premieres on February 13.
    • Films including Frankenstein and Train Dreams are recognized. 
    • Train Dreams and The Perfect Neighbor also earned mentions.
    • Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation stars Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac. 
    • The team behind the Mary Shelley adaptation unpack the making of their gothic epic.

    Shop

    Go to Netflix Shop

    Based on What You’ve Watched

    • These sexy AirCruz secrets are too good to miss.
    • “Well, then, looks like we’re gonna have to make history.”
    • The Duffer Brothers and the cast reflect on the making of the final season.
    • Plus: ONE PIECE stays on top, and Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen is very good.
    • The romantic comedy is here to heat up your summer — just don’t tell HR.
    • Get to know the actors returning to the show for its second run.
    • Meet the enigmatic leader of Birmingham’s deadliest street gang.  

    Discover More Awards

    • A star-studded slate from 2025–2026 Netflix series gathers to discuss their work.
    • Netflix and British Vogue hosted the event honoring the BAFTA TV nominees.
    • Michael B. Jordan, Jessie Buckley, and more took home statues. 
    • See exclusive photos of the stars celebrating at the Netflix after-party.
    • HUNTR/X performed “Golden,” and Guillermo del Toro’s film won three awards.
    • Netflix took home seven trophies, including 4 wins for Adolescence

    Related Videos

    • Goth shares what it was like to receive a phone call from Guillermo del Toro.

    Latest News

    • 11 Soccer Movies and Series to Inspire Every Kind of World Cup Fan
      México 86

    Popular Now

    • Stream Voicemails for Isabelle, Office Romance, a new season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and more.
    • Ladies First tops the film list; Instadocs: Alex Murdaugh, Unconvicted debuts.
    • Everything you need to know about the friend group and their A-list connections.
    • “It’s crazy just how much everything changed.”