‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Most Historic Moments, From Chart Accolades to Billboard’s Women of the Year

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.