Since it premiered on Netflix in June 2025, KPop Demon Hunters has just kept going up, up, up.
Following fictional girl group HUNTR/X as its members Rumi, Mira and Zoey fought to protect the world from evil demons with the power of music, the film is one that’s become a rare animated children’s feature to become truly unescapable in pop culture. If you haven’t seen the movie, you’ve most likely at least heard standout soundtrack hit “Golden” blasting over the radio or through someone’s headphones in public, noticed the film’s title popping up again and again on award show nominations lists, or heard a friend or family member with small children lovingly bemoan the amount of times it’s been played in their home.
Through its ubiquity, KPop Demon Hunters has introduced a wider audience to Korean music, art and traditions — which, according to directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, was the goal all along. “That was the dream from the beginning with this movie, was just, ‘How do we take all of [K-culture] and encompass it in a film?’” Kang told Billboard in a January interview after the movie was nominated for best animated feature at the Oscars. “Now Koreans can look at it and be like, ‘This is something that encapsulates our culture,’ and they can celebrate it.”
“It’s beautiful to see kids from all different races in America, all over the country, dressed up as Korean women for Halloween,” EJAE, “Golden” cowriter and the singing voice of Rumi, added of young fans emulating HUNTR/X. “They’re not princesses, they’re these bada– women, you know? Seeing that Korean braid that inspired the braid of Rumi everywhere in the streets of New York, and people singing Korean lyrics all over the world, is just such a beautiful dream.”
But while the feat of pushing the culture forward is arguably the most meaningful accolade for the team behind the film, KPop Demon Hunters has also racked up a number of numeric records and quantifiable “firsts” as well — and Billboard, who recently announced the trio of EJAE, AUDREY NUNA and REI AMI as our 2026 Women of the Year, is keeping track. As the franchise continues solidifying itself as a generational staple — with Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation confirming in March 2026 that a sequel is definitely in the works — keep reading to see all of the ways it’s etched its name into the history books below.
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Most-Streamed on Netflix
In August 2025 — just two months after it premiered — KPop Demon Hunters became Netflix’s most-watched film of all time, surpassing 236 million total views. At press time, it’s well past 325 million views.
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Hot 100 History
The Golden Globe- and Critic’s Choice award-winning “Golden” spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, which is an impressive feat all on its own. But the track’s ascendance to the summit also marked the first time a K-pop girl group topped the chart, fictional or otherwise.
Plus, the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack became the first soundtrack to have four songs — “Golden,” “How It’s Done,” “Your Idol” and “Soda Pop” — simultaneously appear in the Hot 100’s top 10.
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A Grammy First
At the February 2026 Grammy Awards, “Golden” made history as the first K-pop song to win a golden gramophone, taking home best song written for visual media.
“Golden” and ROSÉ’s collaboration with Bruno Mars, “APT.,” also scored nominations for song of the year, becoming the first K-pop tracks to notch a nod in one of the main general field categories. The prize ultimately went to Billie Eilish’s “Wildflower.”
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Spotify Slay
HUNTR/X isn’t the only history-making group featured in KPop Demon Hunters. In July 2025, the Saja Boys — a.k.a. the evil boy band at odds with the main heroines in the movie — made Spotify history by reaching No. 1 on the streamer’s daily top songs chart in the U.S., surpassing BTS to become the highest-charting male K-pop group in its history.
At the same time, “Golden” reached No. 2, meaning HUNTR/X overtook BLACKPINK’s prior record for highest peak on the U.S. chart.
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An ARIA Chart Record
In August 2025, the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack became the longest-reigning No. 1 animated film soundtrack on the ARIA album charts.
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Women of the Year
In March 2026, Billboard announced that HUNTR/X singers EJAE, AUDREY NUNA and REI AMI would be sharing the title of Woman of the Year at the Women in Music Awards, making them the first group to collectively win the honor.
In the past, Woman of the Year has only gone to individuals, with past recipients including Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift.
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