Crunchyroll Reveals 2026 Anime Awards Winners in Tokyo After a Record 73 Million Votes Cast Globally

Global Fans Crown My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON as Anime of the Year; Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle is Awarded Film of the Year Crunchyroll Honors Prolific Director Tatsuya Nagamine With Global Impact Award

Crunchyroll, the brand serving anime fandom  worldwide, revealed the winners of the tenth annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards during a  star-studded event honoring the creators, musicians, and performers powering the global  love of anime. The full list of honorees that can be found on the Anime Awards Official  Website and below. 

The landmark tenth Crunchyroll Anime Awards was again hosted by renowned voice  actress Sally Amaki and popular entertainer Jon Kabira, who returned for their fourth year  to celebrate a decade of excellence in Japanese animation and anime’s biggest night.  

On behalf of fans worldwide, Anime of the Year was awarded by The Weeknd. The global  icon and long-time anime fan presented the night’s highest honor to My Hero Academia  FINAL SEASON. 

The winners were revealed by a global slate of celebrity anime fan presenters including  admired actor and generational voice Asuka Saito; K-pop artist BamBam, globally  celebrated cosplayer Enako; award-winning Japanese actor Kasumi Arimura; electric  comedic duo Mitorizu; acclaimed Japanese actor Nanase Nishino; leading Brazilian esports  and gaming host Nyvi Estephan; prominent pan-India star Rashmika Mandanna; founding  architect of Wu-Tang Clan RZA; K-pop singer and dancer TEN; globally acclaimed actor  Winston Duke; and GRAMMY-nominated Recording Artist Young Miko. 

The Anime Awards pre-show, which was broadcast live from the Grand Prince Hotel Shin  Takanawa, was co-hosted by Crunchyroll hosts Lauren Moore and Tim Lyu alongside  prolific YouTube creator Gigguk. The show featured awards presented by acclaimed singer  DANNA; contemporary musician Ethan Bortnick; Australian singer-songwriter hannah  bahng; and creative cosplayer Snitchery.  

The night began with an elegant visual journey honoring nearly a decade of Anime of the  Year winners underlined by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra—arranged by Kazunori  Miyake and conducted by Hirofumi Kurita. Upon reaching the 2017 winner, DEAN FUJIOKA  punctuated the moment with a performance of “History Maker,” from Yuri!!! on ICE—the  very first Crunchyroll Anime Awards’ Anime of the Year recipient. 

The night also included electrifying music performances and tributes to anime’s enduring  impact on popular culture. Japanese singer Yoko Takahashi performed a 30th anniversary  tribute to 1995’s seminal anime Neon Genesis Evangelion featuring the renowned theme “A  Cruel Angel’s Thesis.” PORNOGRAFFITTI performed in honor of My Hero Academia’s 10th  anniversary and the show’s conclusion. Legendary rock band ASIAN KUNG-FU  GENERATION performed their beloved hit “Haruka Kanata”—the second opening theme for  the seminal shounen series NARUTO.  

During the ceremony, visionary director Tatsuya Nagamine was honored with the Global  Impact Award—a recognition of his groundbreaking works that have left an indelible mark  on culture, history, and the hearts of audiences around the world. Tatsuya Nagamine’s 

directorial contributions had an unforgettable, long-lasting impact on beloved and globally  influential series. From Ojamajo Doremi and PreCure to Dragon Ball Super and ONE PIECE,  Nagamine-san played a role in how anime reaches global audiences, exemplifying the  medium’s ability to transcend geographic borders and generations.  

The tenth annual Anime Awards featured a tribute to Nagamine-san’s storied career that  preceded the presentation of the Global Impact Award by hosts Jon Kabira and Sally Amaki.  Masayuki Sato—an animator who worked closely with Director Nagamine on numerous  projects, including Happiness Charge PreCure! and ONE PIECE, and with whom he shared a  deep personal friendship—accepted the Award on Nagamine-san’s behalf. 

This year, a record 73 million votes were cast by fans worldwide to celebrate their favorite  series, films, and actors. In alphabetical order, the top most engaged countries this year  were Brazil, Germany, India, Mexico, and the United States. 

The tenth annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards video-on-demand version complete with  exclusive content will be available to stream shortly on Crunchyroll and Crunchyroll’s  YouTube Channel, along with Sony Group Corp Global and Japan YouTube Channels.  

2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards Winners  

• Anime of the Year – My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON 
• Film of the Year – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle 
• Best Original Anime – Lazarus 
• Best Continuing Series – ONE PIECE 
• Best New Series – Gachiakuta 
• Best Opening Sequence – On The Way – AiNA THE END – DAN DA DAN Season 2 ● Best Ending Sequence – I — BUMP OF CHICKEN — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON ● Best Action – Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- 
• Best Comedy – DAN DA DAN Season 2 
• Best Drama – The Apothecary Diaries (season 2) 
• Best Isekai Anime – Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3 
• Best Romance – The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity 
• Best Slice of Life – SPY x FAMILY Season 3 
• Best Animation – Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- 
• Best Background Art – Gachiakuta 
• Best Character Design – Gachiakuta 
• Best Director – Akinori Fudesaka, Norihiro Naganuma — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2) ● Best Main Character – Maomao — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2) 
• Best Supporting Character – Katsuki Bakugo — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON ● “Must Protect At All Cost” Character – Anya Forger — SPY x FAMILY Season 3
• Best Anime Song – IRIS OUT — Kenshi Yonezu — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc ● Best Score – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle — Yuki Kajiura, Go Shiina ● Best Voice Artist Performance (Japanese) – Aoi Yuki — Maomao — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2) 
• Best Voice Artist Performance (English) – Lucien Dodge — Akaza — Demon Slayer: Kimetsu  no Yaiba Infinity Castle 
• Best Voice Artist Performance (Arabic) – Tariq Obaid — Taro Sakamoto — SAKAMOTO  DAYS 
• Best Voice Artist Performance (Brazilian Portuguese) – Charles Emmanuel — Akaza — Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle 
• Best Voice Artist Performance (Castilian Spanish ) – Carles Teruel — Akaza — Demon  Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle 
• Best Voice Artist Performance (French)- Bastien Bourlé — Izuku Midoriya — My Hero  Academia FINAL SEASON 
• Best Voice Artist Performance (German) – Gerrit Schmidt—Foß — Akaza — Demon Slayer:  Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle 
• Best Voice Artist Performance (Hindi) – Abhishek Sharma — Jinshi — The Apothecary  Diaries (season 2) 
• Best Voice Artist Performance (Italian) – Mosè Singh — Denji — Chainsaw Man – The Movie:  Reze Arc 
• Best Voice Artist Performance (Latin Spanish) – Jose Antonio Toledano — Akaza — Demon  Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle 

The Crunchyroll Anime Awards is the leading yearly awards program honoring the creators,  musicians, and performers powering the global love of anime. The tenth annual Anime  Awards took place at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo on Saturday, May 23,  2026. Sony Music Solutions Inc., part of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and  Dempsey Productions will support Crunchyroll in the execution of the event.