A disappointing day for anime fans as the 98th Academy Awards revealed the nominees for their 2026 Oscar nominations. Despite being the second highest grossing animation title of 2025 in the US, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle failed to secure an Oscar nomination. After beating out the anime title for the Golden Globe’s Best Animated Motion Picture, KPop Demon Hunters came out on top again. The team behind HUNTR/X are running laps around their fellow animated exorcists. It’s not for lack of promotion or catering to voters; the creative team hosted an event with The Ankler back in November 2025 to celebrate the hard work behind the title, as well as pushed high budget promotions through panels at Anime Expo and San Diego Comic Con.
Though, in an upset, the highly rated Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc and GKID’s 100 Meters also did not receive Oscar nominations. Originally, the three films were among several others—Studio 4°C’s ChaO, studio P.A. Works’ COLORFUL STAGE! The Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing, HS Pictures Studio’s Dragon Heart – Adventures Beyond This World, and Studio Chizu’s Scarlet—that also didn’t make the nomination cut from the eligibility list.
Although 2025 was a spectacular year for anime in terms of global and domestic box office, none of them will be able to round out their success with an Oscar.
