Oscars: The 2026 Best Animated Feature Race Weakest in Years — ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Might Win

The 2026 Best Animated Feature Oscar race is shaping up to be one of the weakest lineups in recent memory. Unlike past years where a juggernaut took the category by storm, this year feels muddled, with no film truly standing out as the clear favorite.

It’s not that there aren’t contenders — no matter how weak the films are, there always will be. It’s more that none of them have the critical raves, or box-office firepower to separate themselves from the pack.

Among the likely nominees:

• “KPop” — Netflix’s anime-inspired musical actioner has energy, and it certainly helps its cause that it’s the most watched movie in Netflix history (300M+ views). A cultural phenomenon, sure, but Best Animated Film? Guven the weak year, it’s the current frontrunner.

• “Zootopia 2” — Disney’s sequel is expected to land a nomination sight unseen. The first film won the Oscar back in 2017, but the sequel hasn’t been screened yet, and nobody knows if it has the pull of the original.

• “Scarlet” — Mamoru Hosoda’s latest earned polite notices on the festival circuit but hardly the kind of raves needed to build momentum. Visually striking, yes, but narratively it hasn’t made waves. Still, Hosoda is immensely respected.

• “Arco” — A smaller international effort that could slide in if voters are looking for something different, though visibility is a question mark. It certainly helps that the English language version’s cast features Natalie Portman, Mark Ruffalo, America Ferrara, Will Ferrell, Andy Samberg & Flea. 

• “Ne Zha 2” — The Chinese blockbuster sequel was a commercial powerhouse at home, but its chances with the Academy depend heavily on whether Academy voters were as won over by the heavily mythic Chinese story.

• “In Your Dreams” — We’re so desperate that mere visibility on the streaming giant’s platform, combined with a polished animation could get this one nominated. This Netflix-produced film has still not been screened.

Some other “contenders” include “A Magnificent Life,” “Demon Slayer,” “Little Amelie,” “The Twits,” “Bad Guys 2,” “Dog Man,” “Predator: Killer of Killers” and “Smurfs.”

That’s not a good slate of films, but none of these scream winner. The lack of a standout is so glaring that even Pixar’s “Elio” — which bombed at the box office earlier this year and received mixed reviews — could still snag a nomination purely on brand recognition. That alone says a lot about how barren this race feels.

Animation fans are used to at least one or two titles each year that redefine the conversation or command enthusiasm across critics and audiences. 2026 hasn’t delivered that yet. Instead, the likely nominees look like a mix of sequels, underperformers, and polite festival favorites.

Unless a late-breaking surprise emerges, this could go down as one of the most forgettable years for the Best Animated Feature category — a race where voters might end up checking off familiar studio names more out of obligation than passion.