The 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards convened in Tokyo on May 23, 2026, delivering a night that celebrated both long-running franchises and fresh voices in anime. Topping the evening’s honors, My Hero Academia Final Season received the Anime of the Year accolade, a capstone for the series’ concluding arc. The ceremony blended international celebrity presenters with industry veterans, creating a cross-cultural showcase that recognized films, series, music and behind-the-scenes talent across many categories.
The production leaned into familiar faces and global stars. Hosts Sally Amaki and Jon Kabira returned for their fourth consecutive year to guide the evening, while guest presenters ranged from musicians to actors and cosplayers. In a highlight moment, The Weeknd presented the Anime of the Year award. Other presenters included Asuka Saito, BamBam, Enako, Kasumi Arimura, comedy duo Mitorizu, Nanase Nishino, esports host Nyvi Estephan, Rashmika Mandanna, RZA, TEN, Winston Duke and Young Miko, reflecting the event’s international reach and fandom crossover appeal.
Ceremony highlights
The evening opened with a sweeping orchestral arrangement performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, arranged by Kazunori Miyake and conducted by Hirofumi Kurita, setting a cinematic tone for the show. Live musical performances included sets from Dean Fujioka, a commemorative appearance by Yoko Takahashi, and rock tributes by Pornograffitti and Asian Kung-Fu Generation. The program balanced celebratory tributes to legacy anime with moments highlighting this year’s breakthroughs, creating an emotional throughline that honored both history and contemporary achievement in animation and sound.
Global industry recognition
Beyond trophies, the ceremony paid tribute to long-term contributions to the medium. Director Tatsuya Nagamine was presented with a special Global Impact Award recognizing his role on titles such as Ojamajo Doremi, PreCure, Dragon Ball Super and One Piece. Animator Masayuki Sato accepted the award on Nagamine’s behalf. The presentation underscored how individual creators shape industry trends across decades and territories, reminding viewers that awards nights also function as markers of influence and legacy.
Awards and winners
The night’s major categories honored both blockbuster releases and smaller original works. The top prizes went to My Hero Academia Final Season for Anime of the Year and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle for Film of the Year. Other high-profile winners included Lazarus for Best Original Anime, One Piece as Best Continuing Series, and Gachiakuta for Best New Series. Musical sequence awards went to On The Way by AiNA THE END (opening) and I by BUMP OF CHICKEN (ending), while genre honors were claimed by titles such as Solo Leveling Season 2 for Best Action and Dan Da Dan Season 2 for Best Comedy.
Voice acting and technical prizes
Technical and performance categories highlighted both individual contributions and design excellence. The Apothecary Diaries (Season 2) earned Best Drama, while Re:ZERO Season 3 took Best Isekai Anime. Spy x Family Season 3 won Best Slice of Life and the affectionate Must Protect At All Cost character recognition went to Anya Forger. Gachiakuta also secured awards for Best Background Art and Best Character Design. The Best Director honor was shared by Akinori Fudesaka and Norihiro Naganuma for their work on The Apothecary Diaries (Season 2). In music and score, Iris Out by Kenshi Yonezu won Best Anime Song, while composers Yuki Kajiura and Go Shiina were recognized for Best Score on Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle.
Voice performance awards spanned multiple languages, reflecting global dubbing excellence: Aoi Yuki won Best Voice Artist Performance (Japanese) for Maomao in The Apothecary Diaries (Season 2), and Lucien Dodge was named Best Voice Artist Performance (English) for Akaza in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle. Additional voice wins included performers across Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Castilian Spanish, French, German, Hindi, Italian and Latin Spanish editions, with several honors going to actors who voiced Akaza across different languages.
Voting, viewership and where to watch
Crunchyroll reported a record-breaking fan response, with 73 million votes cast worldwide. The company noted the most engaged countries were Brazil, Germany, India, Mexico and the United States. Winners were determined using a weighted voting system that combined an expert panel’s input with fan votes to balance critical assessment and popular support. For viewers who missed the live show, the ceremony will be streaming shortly on Crunchyroll and on Crunchyroll’s YouTube channel, as well as on the Sony Group Corp Global and Japan YouTube channels, offering fans multiple ways to revisit the night’s highlights and performances.
