BUZZ BEAT MEDIA

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 performedin 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.  

More information can be found on the Crunchyroll Anime Awards Official Website and across X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Channel.  

About Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll is the global anime brand that fuels fans’ love of anime. With the ambition to make anime an even bigger part of pop culture, Crunchyroll offers fans the ultimate anime experience and destination centered around a premium streaming service. Crunchyroll has the largest dedicated anime library, an immersive world of events, exciting theatrical releases, unique games, must-have merchandise, timely news, and more. Anime is for everyone and is accessible to stream across territories through Crunchyroll—whether on the go on mobile, through gaming consoles and big-screen devices at home, or on desktops anywhere. 

Crunchyroll, LLC is an independently operated joint venture between U.S.-based Sony Pictures Entertainment and Japan’s Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., both subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Sony Group. 

*All Photos from Crunchyroll