{"id":439575,"date":"2026-02-22T12:11:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T12:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/439575\/"},"modified":"2026-02-22T12:11:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T12:11:09","slug":"why-kpop-demon-hunters-wasnt-even-nominated-at-the-baftas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/439575\/","title":{"rendered":"Why KPop Demon Hunters wasn&#8217;t even nominated at the BAFTAs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"3\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">KPop Demon Hunters was one of the biggest movies of 2025, becoming Netflix&#8217;s most-watched movie of all time and dominating the airwaves. Even if you still haven&#8217;t seen it, you won&#8217;t have escaped hearing &#8216;Golden&#8217; in the past few months.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"9\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">So it makes sense then that the EE BAFTA Film Awards are marking that worldwide domination with a special live performance. The movie&#8217;s stars Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami \u2013 who provided the singing voices of Rumi, Mira and Zoey \u2013 are performing &#8216;Golden&#8217; during the ceremony, marking their first-ever live performance outside the US.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"13\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">What you might be confused by is that despite this performance, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a65869367\/kpop-demon-hunters-netflix-most-watched-movie\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a65869367\/kpop-demon-hunters-netflix-most-watched-movie\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"KPop Demon Hunters\" data-node-id=\"13.1.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">KPop Demon Hunters<\/a> is not nominated for Children&#8217;s &amp; Family Film or Animated Film at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a70141879\/bafta-2026-nominations-film-awards\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a70141879\/bafta-2026-nominations-film-awards\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"this year&#039;s BAFTAs\" data-node-id=\"13.3\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">this year&#8217;s BAFTAs<\/a>. (The BAFTAs doesn&#8217;t have an Original Song category like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/oscars\/a70060846\/oscars-2026-nominations-academy-awards-full-list\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/oscars\/a70060846\/oscars-2026-nominations-academy-awards-full-list\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Oscars\" data-node-id=\"13.5\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Oscars<\/a>, where &#8216;Golden&#8217; is nominated.)<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"18\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">Instead, it&#8217;s Arco, Boong, Lilo &amp; Stitch and Zootropolis 2 competing for Children&#8217;s &amp; Family Film, while Elio, Little Am\u00e9lie or the Character of Rain and Zootropolis 2 are competing for Animated Film.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"22\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">Arguably KPop Demon Hunters could have won in both of those categories, so what gives? It&#8217;s all down to the pesky rules.<\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"mira, rumi and zoey, kpop demon hunters\" title=\"Mira, Rumi and Zoey, KPop Demon Hunters\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2866\" height=\"1200\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/kpop-demon-hunters-mira-rumi-zoey-68932737c5a60.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1g79fud0\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Netflix<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"27\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a65869367\/kpop-demon-hunters-netflix-most-watched-movie\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a65869367\/kpop-demon-hunters-netflix-most-watched-movie\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"How KPop Demon Hunters became the biggest Netflix movie ever\" data-node-id=\"27.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">How KPop Demon Hunters became the biggest Netflix movie ever<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"31\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">Currently, in order for movies to be eligible for BAFTA consideration, they need to have had a qualifying theatrical release. According to <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2025\/film\/awards\/kpop-demon-hunters-ineligible-bafta-oscars-1236575163\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2025\/film\/awards\/kpop-demon-hunters-ineligible-bafta-oscars-1236575163\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Variety\" data-node-id=\"31.1.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\">Variety<\/a>, there are sometimes &#8220;exceptional circumstances&#8221; \u2013 such as an event cinema release \u2013 where a movie might be eligible.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"35\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">KPop Demon Hunters was released first on Netflix, although it did later have a limited weekend run in UK cinemas in August and then again over the Halloween weekend in October. As a result, Netflix lodged a formal appeal hoping that this &#8220;event-style theatrical run&#8221; would allow it to be considered.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"39\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">Unfortunately for Netflix and HUNTR\/X fans in the UK, BAFTA&#8217;s Film Committee rejected the appeal and stated that the movie didn&#8217;t meet the eligibility criteria. While it did have the special theatrical release, it didn&#8217;t meet the minimum requirement of &#8220;at least 10 commercial screenings in the UK for at least seven days in aggregate&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><img draggable=\"true\" alt=\"mira, rumi and zoey, kpop demon hunters\" title=\"Mira, Rumi and Zoey, KPop Demon Hunters\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"4298\" height=\"1800\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent;width:100%;height:auto;\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/kpop-demon-hunters-68932737d163a.jpg\" class=\"css-0 e1g79fud0\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Netflix<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"44\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/g45494015\/most-watched-netflix-movies\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/g45494015\/most-watched-netflix-movies\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"The most-watched Netflix movies of all time\" data-node-id=\"44.0.1\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The most-watched Netflix movies of all time<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"48\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">The Oscars have similar requirements when it comes to streaming releases, requiring them to be shown in cinemas in one of six qualifying areas. KPop Demon Hunters screened at cinemas in San Francisco, Los Angeles County and New York City for a week, beginning on the same day as its Netflix release.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"52\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">As a result, KPop Demon Hunters is currently a hot favourite to win Animated Feature Film and Original Song at the Oscars. What&#8217;s interesting though is that it would make history if it did win Animated Feature Film because, as <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2025\/film\/awards\/kpop-demon-hunters-ineligible-bafta-oscars-1236575163\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2025\/film\/awards\/kpop-demon-hunters-ineligible-bafta-oscars-1236575163\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Variety\" data-node-id=\"52.3.0\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\">Variety<\/a> notes, no movie has won that category without a BAFTA nomination.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"56\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">But if its Netflix release has proven anything, KPop Demon Hunters has never met a record it couldn&#8217;t break.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"60\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">KPop Demon Hunters is available to watch on Netflix.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"65\" class=\"css-18ljdn6 emevuu60\">The new edition of Living Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Taylor Swift, is here! <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/livilgtaylorswift\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.hearstmagazines.co.uk\/livilgtaylorswift\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Buy Taylor in newsagents or online\" data-node-id=\"65.3\" class=\"body-link css-1gyyefe emevuu60\">Buy Taylor in newsagents or online<\/a>, priced at just \u00a38.99.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771762269_212_a89a3678-45ec-4a46-87f2-e777e4755ac0_1550228492.file.png\" alt=\"Headshot of Ian Sandwell\" title=\"Headshot of Ian Sandwell\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"css-o0wq4v ev8dhu53\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Movies Editor, Digital Spy \u00a0Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. \u00a0Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/g29563104\/best-horror-movies\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">horror movies<\/a>, attending genre festivals around the world. \u00a0\u00a0After moving to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Digital Spy<\/a>, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitalspy.com\/movies\/a825774\/marvel-cinematic-universe-in-chronological-order\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Marvel<\/a> and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda \u2013 whether his editor likes it or not.<br \/>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"KPop Demon Hunters was one of the biggest movies of 2025, becoming Netflix&#8217;s most-watched movie of all time&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":439576,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[160069,147950,379,160068,381,96,1156,2839,160067,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-439575","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-movies","8":"tag-collection-baftas","9":"tag-collection-latest-news","10":"tag-content-type-news","11":"tag-contentid-07ba11f9-8890-4450-a75a-f453facec821","12":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","13":"tag-entertainment","14":"tag-locale-gb","15":"tag-movies","16":"tag-shorttitle-why-kpop-demon-hunters-wasnt-even-nominated-at-the-baftas","17":"tag-uk","18":"tag-united-kingdom","19":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/439575","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=439575"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/439575\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/439576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=439575"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=439575"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=439575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}