Canadians Win Two Top Animation Oscars at 96th Awards

Canadian filmmakers claimed two major prizes in the animation categories at the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday night, highlighting the nation's growing influence in the global film industry. Toronto-based director Maggie Kang won best animated feature for her Netflix blockbuster "KPop Demon Hunters," while Montreal collaborators Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski took home best animated short for their stop-motion tale "The Girl Who Cried Pearls."

"KPop Demon Hunters," co-directed by Kang and Chris Appelhaus with producer Michelle Wong, follows a Korean girl group called HUNTRX as they battle demons, a rival boy band and personal insecurities. Blending Korean mythology with K-pop culture, the film features a distinctive animation style that mixes 2D anime influences with 3D CGI. Its soundtrack, including the Grammy-winning track "Golden," propelled eight songs onto the Billboard Hot 100 and boosted the careers of voice actors like Arden Cho, who played the lead singer Rumi. The movie, Netflix's most-viewed film to date, dominated box office and music charts, inspiring widespread cultural trends such as children's Halloween costumes in the United States.