Highlights
- My Hero Academia Final Season wins Anime of the Year at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026.
- Gachiakuta and Solo Leveling dominate creative categories.
- The 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards highlighted anime’s global growth.
The 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards concluded on Saturday in Tokyo with My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON claiming the coveted Anime of the Year title. Hosted by Sally Amaki and Jon Kabira at Tokyo's Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa, the ceremony celebrated anime’s outstanding achievements across 30 categories.
Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026 drew a record 73M votes from fans, marking the highest participation in the award's history. Apart from My Hero Academia, Gachikuta, and Apothecary Diaries season 2 emerged as dominant forces.
DAN DA DAN led all nominees with 20 nominations, highlighting the growing international influence of genre-blending anime titles.
Meanwhile, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle secured Film of the Year and several awards in the dubbing category, continuing the franchise's award-winning legacy. The 10th edition ceremony also honored the late director Tatsuya Nagamine with a special Global Impact Award, recognizing his influential work on series such as One Piece, Dragon Ball Super, and the Pretty Cure franchise.
Anime-Specific Awards: My Hero Academia Final Season Triumphs
The Anime-Specific categories highlighted the year’s breakthrough titles, dominance of returning franchises, and theatrical releases alike. My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON capped the night's biggest prize, beating competitors like The Apothecary Diaries season 2 and DAN DA DAN season 2.
Solo Leveling continued its awards momentum after dominating global streaming charts in 2025. Gachiakuta made an impressive debut, winning the Best New Series, signaling the arrival of a promising new anime IP.
Andrew Rauner Crunchyroll
All Anime-Specific awards winners are:
| Award Category | Anime Name | Production Studio |
| Anime of the Year | My Hero Academia (FINAL SEASON) | Bones Film |
| Film of the Year | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle | ufotable |
| Best Continuing Series | ONE PIECE | Toei Animation |
| Best New Series | Gachiakuta | Bones Film |
| Best Original Anime | Lazarus | MAPPA |
| Best Action | Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadow (Season 2) | A-1 Pictures |
| Best Comedy | DAN DA DAN (Season 2) | Science SARU |
| Best Drama | The Apothecary Diaries (Season 2) | TOHO animation STUDIO x OLM |
| Best Romance | The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity | CloverWorks |
| Best Slice of Life | SPY x FAMILY (Season 3) | Wit Studio x CloverWorks |
Creative Excellence Awards in Crunchyroll Anime Awards: Gachiakuta's Visual Triumph
The creative excellence categories recognized the creators and production team members behind these anime’s artistic and technical achievements. Solo Leveling claimed Best Animation, while new anime series Gachiakuta performed strongly in other craft-focused categories.
Gachiakuta claimed both Best Background Art and Best Character Design awards. The series’ blend of graffiti art with anime aesthetic captivated voters and critics alike, further establishing Bones studio's reputation on the award night.
Creative Excellence awards winners are:
| Award Category | Winner Name | Anime Name |
| Best Director | Akinori Fudesaka, Norihiro Naganuma | The Apothecary Diaries (Season 2) |
| Best Animation | Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadow (Season 2) | Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadow (Season 2) (A-1 Pictures) |
| Best Background Art | Gachiakuta | Gachiakuta (Bones Films) |
| Best Character Design | Gachiakuta | Gachiakuta |
| Best Score | Yuki Kajiura, Go Shiina | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle |
Character-Specific Awards in 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards
Maomao from The Apothecary Diaries season 2 captured Best Main Character, cementing her status as one of anime's most beloved protagonists. Anya Forger from SPY x FAMILY season 3 held her streak after winning her second "Must Protect At All Costs" award.
Crunchyroll
All Character-Specific awards winners are:
| Award Category | Winning Character | Anime Name |
| Best Main Character | Maomao | The Apothecary Diaries (Season 2) |
| Best Supporting Character | Katsuki Bakugo | My Hero Academia (FINAL SEASON) |
| “Must Protect At All Costs” Character | Anya Forger | SPY x FAMILY (Season 3) |
2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards: Voice/Music Related Recognition
Voice performance and music-focused categories once again reflected anime’s global popularity. Voice acting categories recognized outstanding performances across multiple languages, including Arabic, Portuguese, Hindi, Spanish, and French.
Crunchyroll
Kenshi Yonezu's IRIS OUT from Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc claimed Best Anime Song, while AiNA THE END's On The Way secured Best Opening Sequence for DAN DA DAN season 2. BUMP OF CHICKEN's emotional "I" won Best Ending Sequence, providing a fitting conclusion to My Hero Academia's final season.
All Voice/Music Related awards winners are:
| Award Category | Winning Song/VA Name | Anime Name |
| Best Opening Sequence | On The Way by AiNA THE END | DAN DA DAN (Season 2) |
| Best Ending Sequence | I by BUMP OF CHICKEN | My Hero Academia (FINAL SEASON) |
| Best Anime Song | IRIS OUT by Kenshi Yonezu | Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc |
| Best Score | Yuki Kajiura, Go Shiina | Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle |
| Best Voice Artist (Japanese) | Aoi Yuki (as Maomao) | The Apothecary Diaries (Season 2) |
| Best Voice Artist (English) | Lucien Dodge (as Akaza) | Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle |
| Best Voice Artist (Arabic) | Tariq Obaid (as Taro Sakamoto) | SAKAMOTO DAYS |
| Best Voice Artist (Brazilian Portuguese) | Charles Emmanuel (as Akaza) | Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle |
| Best Voice Artist (Castilian Spanish) | Carles Teruel (as Akaza) | Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle |
| Best Voice Artist (French) | Bastien Bourlé (as Izuku Midoriya) | My Hero Academia (FINAL SEASON) |
| Best Voice Artist (German) | Gerrit Schmidt-Foß (as Akaza) | Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle |
| Best Voice Artist (Hindi) | Abhishek Sharma (as Jinshi) | The Apothecary Diaries (Season 2) |
| Best Voice Artist (Italian) | Mosè Singh (as Denji) | Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc |
| Best Voice Artist (Latin Spanish) | Jose Antonio Toledano (as Akaza) | Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle |
The 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards reflected anime’s continued expansion as a global cultural force, with record-breaking participation reflecting the medium's globalization impact. My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON's triumphant conclusion, The Apothecary Diaries’ multi-category sweep, and Gachiakuta's breakthrough success highlighted 2025-released anime’s exceptional animation quality and storytelling diversity.
