Highlights
- The Anime Awards 2026 nominees are officially live, with DAN DA DAN Season 2 and My Hero Academia leading the race for Anime of the Year.
- Global stars like Rashmika Mandanna and RZA will join the ceremony in Tokyo on May 23, 2026.
- Fans have until April 15 to vote daily for their favorite Anime Awards 2026 nominees across Crunchyroll and MyAnimeList.
Anime fans, it’s that time of the year again, and the battle lines are officially drawn. Crunchyroll just dropped the massive list of nominees for the 10th annual Anime Awards, and the race is incredibly tight. Setting the stage for Saturday, May 23, 2026, at Tokyo's Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa, this year's event promises to be the biggest celebration of Japanese animation yet. The best part? You have the power to crown the winners. Voting is officially open right now and runs through April 15.
The fight for the night's biggest prizes is looking fierce. Heavyweight contenders like DAN DA DAN Season 2, Gachiakuta, and My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON are duking it out for the highly coveted Anime of the Year title. Over on the cinematic side, blockbusters like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle and Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc are vying for Film of the Year.
Making sure your voice is heard is easier than ever this time around. You can cast your votes daily on the official Anime Awards website, Crunchyroll, and for the very first time, you can vote directly from the show pages on MyAnimeList.
This year marks a massive milestone—a full decade of the Anime Awards. Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini highlighted that this year's slate of nearly 50 unique series and films represents the absolute favorites chosen by fans over the months. To do the 10th anniversary justice, Crunchyroll is bringing in serious global star power.
Pan-India superstar Rashmika Mandanna is joining the presenter lineup alongside big names like acclaimed actor Winston Duke, Wu-Tang Clan visionary RZA, Mexican singer DANNA, and global cosplay icons Enako and Snitchery. Mandanna shared her genuine excitement about returning to Tokyo, noting how anime continues to break down boundaries and unite people. "Seeing India’s anime community's rapid growth has been especially heartwarming," she shared.
Fans can expect a nostalgia-heavy night when the live broadcast kicks off. Hosted by voice actress Sally Amaki and entertainer Jon Kabira, the ceremony will double as a massive concert honoring anime history. Japanese singer DEAN FUJIOKA will open with History Maker from Yuri!!! on ICE—a beautiful nod to the very first Anime of the Year winner.
Fans will also catch an emotional tribute marking the end of My Hero Academia by PORNOGRAFFITTI, and a live performance of the legendary NARUTO opening Haruka Kanata by ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION. The live Pre-Show starts at 5:00 PM JST (1:30 PM IST), followed immediately by the main event at 6:00 PM JST (2:30 PM IST). Opening remarks will be delivered by Sony Group Corporation President and CEO Hiroki Totoki.
The sheer depth of talent across all categories this year is staggering, honoring everything from breathtaking animation and background art to unforgettable vocal performances across multiple languages. Check out the full breakdown of who is competing for the hardware below.
2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards Nominees
Anime of the Year
- DAN DA DAN Season 2
- Gachiakuta
- My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
- Takopi's Original Sin
- The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
- The Summer Hikaru Died
Film of the Year
- 100 Meters
- Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
- Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II — The Ashes of Rage
- Scarlet
- The Rose of Versailles
Best Original Anime
- Apocalypse Hotel
- DIGIMON BEATBREAK
- Lazarus
- Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX
- Moonrise
- ZENSHU
Best Continuing Series
- DAN DA DAN Season 2
- Kaiju No. 8
- My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
- ONE PIECE
- Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
- SPY x FAMILY Season 3
IMDb
Best New Series
- Clevatess
- Gachiakuta
- SAKAMOTO DAYS
- Takopi's Original Sin
- The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity
- The Summer Hikaru Died
Best Opening Sequence
- HUGs - Paledusk - Gachiakuta
- Mirage - Creepy Nuts - Call of the Night Season 2
- On The Way - AiNA THE END - DAN DA DAN Season 2
- ReawakeR (feat. Felix of Stray Kids) — LiSA — Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
- THE REVO — PORNOGRAFFITTI — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
- Watch Me! — YOASOBI — WITCH WATCH
Best Ending Sequence
- Actor — Lilas Ikuta — SPY x FAMILY Season 3
- Beautiful Colors — OneRepublic — Kaiju No. 8
- Doukashiteru — WurtS — DAN DA DAN Season 2
- I — BUMP OF CHICKEN — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
- Kawaii Kaiwai — PiKi — My Dress—Up Darling Season 2
- UN-APEX — TK from Ling Tosite Sigure — Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
Best Action
- DAN DA DAN Season 2
- Gachiakuta
- Kaiju No. 8
- My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
- ONE PIECE
- Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
Best Comedy
- CITY THE ANIMATION
- DAN DA DAN Season 2
- My Dress-Up Darling Season 2
- Ranma1/2 Season2
- SPY x FAMILY Season 3
- WITCH WATCH
Best Drama
- Anne Shirley
- Blue Box
- Orb: On the Movements of the Earth
- Takopi's Original Sin
- The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
- The Summer Hikaru Died
Best Isekai Anime
- Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill Season 2
- Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation — Season 1 "Episode of Heartslabyul"
- From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad's Been Reincarnated!
- KONOSUBA -God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! 3 -BONUS STAGE-
- Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3
- ZENSHU
Best Romance
- Blue Box
- DAN DA DAN Season 2
- Honey Lemon Soda
- My Dress-Up Darling Season 2
- Ranma1/2 Season2
- The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity
IMDb
Best Slice of Life
- Anne Shirley
- Blue Box
- CITY THE ANIMATION
- My Dress-Up Darling Season 2
- SPY x FAMILY Season 3
- The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity
Best Animation
- DAN DA DAN Season 2
- Gachiakuta
- My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
- ONE PIECE
- Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
- Takopi's Original Sin
Best Background Art
- CITY THE ANIMATION
- DAN DA DAN Season 2
- Gachiakuta
- Kowloon Generic Romance
- The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
- The Summer Hikaru Died
Best Character Design
- DAN DA DAN Season 2
- Gachiakuta
- My Dress-Up Darling Season 2
- ONE PIECE
- Takopi's Original Sin
- The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
Best Director
- Akinori Fudesaka, Norihiro Naganuma — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
- Fuga Yamashiro and Abel Góngora — DAN DA DAN Season 2
- Fumihiko Suganuma — Gachiakuta
- Kenji Nagasaki, Naomi Nakayama — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
- Ryohei Takeshita — The Summer Hikaru Died
- Shinya Iino — Takopi's Original Sin
Best Main Character
- Izuku Midoriya — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
- Maomao — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
- Momo — DAN DA DAN Season 2
- Okarun — DAN DA DAN Season 2
- Rudo — Gachiakuta
- Sung Jinwoo — Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
Best Supporting Character
- Enjin — Gachiakuta
- Jin Enjoji (Jiji) — DAN DA DAN Season 2
- Jinshi — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
- Katsuki Bakugo — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
- Loulan/Shisui — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
- Turbo Granny — DAN DA DAN Season 2
“Must Protect At All Cost” Character
- Anya Forger — SPY x FAMILY Season 3
- Izuku Midoriya — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
- Kaoruko Waguri — The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity
- Maomao — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
- Suika — Dr. STONE SCIENCE FUTURE
- Takopi — Takopi's Original Sin
MAPPA
Best Anime Song
- In Bloom — Lilas Ikuta — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
- IRIS OUT — Kenshi Yonezu — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
- JANE DOE — Kenshi Yonezu and Hikaru Utada — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
- On The Way — AiNA THE END — DAN DA DAN Season 2
- ReawakeR (feat. Felix of Stray Kids) — LiSA — Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
- Watch Me! — YOASOBI — WITCH WATCH
Best Score
- Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc — kensuke ushio
- DAN DA DAN Season 2 — kensuke ushio
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle — Yuki Kajiura, Go Shiina
- Gachiakuta — Taku Iwasaki
- Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- — Hiroyuki Sawano
- The Apothecary Diaries (season 2) — Satoru Kosaki, Kevin Penkin, Alisa Okehazama
Best Voice Artist Performance (Hindi)
- Abhishek Sharma — Jinshi — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
- Akshita Mishra — Koyuki — Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
- Heena Malik — Reze — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
- Merlyn James — Anya Forger — SPY x FAMILY Season 3
- Rajesh Shukla — Sung Jinwoo — Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
- Shilpie Pandey — Lufas Maphaahl — A Wild Last Boss Appeared!
Best Voice Artist Performance (Japanese)
- Aoi Yuki — Maomao — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
- Chiaki Kobayashi — Yoshiki Tsujinaka — The Summer Hikaru Died
- Daiki Yamashita — Izuku Midoriya — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
- Kikunosuke Toya — Denji — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
- Mayumi Tanaka — Monkey D. Luffy — ONE PIECE
- Reina Ueda — Reze — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
Best Voice Artist Performance (English)
- Alexis Tipton — Reze — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
- Emi Lo — Maomao — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
- Justin Briner — Izuku Midoriya — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
- Lucien Dodge — Akaza — Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
- Morgan Berry — Shiori Fuyumura — SANDA
- Paul Castro Jr. — Hikaru Indou — The Summer Hikaru Died
With the ultimate anime showdown just around the corner, the power to crown this year's champions is entirely in your hands. Make sure to lock in your daily votes before the April 15 deadline.
