Here is a rundown of the winners from the Anime Awards 2026, and everything that went down at the Tokyo event.
Anime is ever-growing every year, with more athletes and actors coming out and talking about their favourite anime series. The biggest annual celebration of anime returned for the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, which took place at Tokyo’s Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa. More than 73 million votes have been tallied, from judges and fans alike. I can’t believe it has already been ten years of honouring the best anime this past decade. Here is what happened on the orange carpet on May 23rd.
Sony Group Corporation President Hiroki Totoki thanked all the anime fans and said, “Anime has brought so many people together…and will continue to do so.” He was ecstatic to see what they would be able to bring to fans, and wished everyone a good rest of the show. Hosts Jon Kabira and Sally Amaki tributed the Global Impact Award to Tatsuya Nagamine, the director most notably known for his work on Dragon Ball Super, HeartCatch PreCure!, and One Piece. Unfortunately, Nagamine passed away in August 2025, but he will not be forgotten for his major contributions to the anime industry.
The Weeknd presented the Anime of the Year, while other 2026 Anime Awards presenters include Young Miko, Black Panther star Winston Duke, Rashmika Mandanna, BamBam, RZA, Ten, Ethan Bortnick and more! DAN DA DAN Season 2 and The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 went toe-to-toe, with DAN DA DAN Season 2 receiving 17 nominations and The Apothecary Diaries (Season 2) with 13 nominations. At the end of the night, My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON won Anime of the Year and took home 3 wins. It was great to see both new horror dramas, Takopi’s Original Sin and The Summer Hikaru Died, up for 7 nominations apiece.
The whole 2026 Anime Awards ceremony began with a medley by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, highlighting the best anime of the year winners’ opening sequences over the last ten years. All of this led up to 2017’s opening for Yuri on Ice, “History Maker”, sung amazingly live by Dean Fujioka. In terms of this year’s performances throughout, Japanese singer Yoko Takahashi took to the stage to perform a 30th anniversary tribute to Neon Genesis Evangelion and its renowned theme “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis”—one of the most played karaoke songs. Even though I did not start watching Evangelion until recently, this song was so popular I could not, NOT know it!
A special live performance to celebrate 10 years of My Hero Academia also took place, with Porno Graffitti’s openings for the series, “The Day” and “The Revo.” Hearing The Day took me down memory lane, watching My Hero Academia while I was in university. Asian Kung-Fu Generation also had their moment, 30 years as a band, who also made so much music for so many anime series. They performed “Hanata Kanata”, the second Naruto opening and took a blast from the past.
Anime of the Year
DAN DA DAN Season 2
My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II — The Ashes of Rage
The Rose of Versailles
Best Original Anime
Apocalypse Hotel
DIGIMON BEATBREAK
Lazarus (WINNER)
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX
Moonrise
Best Continuing Series
DAN DA DAN Season 2
My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
ONE PIECE (WINNER)
Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
SPY x FAMILY Season 3
Best New Series
Clevatess
Gachiakuta (WINNER)
Takopi’s Original Sin
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity
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 (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
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
Kaiju No. 8
My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
ONE PIECE
Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- (WINNER)
Best Comedy
CITY THE ANIMATION
DAN DA DAN Season 2 (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
ZENSHU
Best Romance
Blue Box
DAN DA DAN Season 2
Honey Lemon Soda
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2
Ranma1/2 Season 2
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity (WINNER)
Best Slice of Life
Anne Shirley
Blue Box
CITY THE ANIMATION
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2
SPY x FAMILY Season 3 (WINNER)
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- (WINNER)
Takopi’s Original Sin
Best Background Art
CITY THE ANIMATION
DAN DA DAN Season 2
Gachiakuta (WINNER)
Kowloon Generic Romance
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2
The Summer Hikaru Died
Best Character Design
DAN DA DAN Season 2
Gachiakuta (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
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
Best Anime Song
In Bloom — Lilas Ikuta — The Apothecary Diaries Season 2
IRIS OUT — Kenshi Yonezu — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
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 (Japanese)
Aoi Yuki — Maomao — The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
Morgan Berry — Shiori Fuyumura — SANDA
Paul Castro Jr. — Hikaru Indou — The Summer Hikaru Died
