On May 23, 2026, Crunchyroll held the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026 ceremony at the Grand Prince Hotel Shintakanawa, Tokyo, marking the 10th anniversary of this prestigious annual event. This year saw a record-breaking 73 million votes cast by anime fans from around the world, spanning more than 200 countries and territories.

Event Atmosphere and Special Performances

Before the awards ceremony, an “Orange Carpet” reception welcomed artists and industry figures both domestic and international. The opening ceremony was highlighted by a special live performance by DEAN FUJIOKA, who performed “History Maker” from the anime Yuri!!! on ICE, accompanied by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, creating a grand and unforgettable atmosphere on the night.

The evening’s hosts were John Cabrera and Amasiro Salli, who guided the ceremony throughout. During the award presentations, Porno Graffitti performed live, singing “THE DAY” — the first season opening of My Hero Academia — and “THE REVO” — the opening of My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON.

Mid-ceremony, renowned singer Takahashi Yoko took the stage to perform “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” from Neon Genesis Evangelion, dressed in colors inspired by Eva Unit-01, electrifying the audience. The show closed with rock band ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, who performed “Haruka Kanata” — the second season opening of NARUTO — to thunderous applause from the entire hall.

Anime of the Year: My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON

The top award, Anime of the Year, went to 僕のヒーローアカデミア FINAL SEASON (My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON), directed by Nagasaki Kenji, who accepted the award and delivered a heartfelt speech saying that from the very first episode, the staff and voice cast had always talked about wanting this work to endure for 10 years — and now that the series has concluded, he feels immensely proud to have been part of a work filled with talented people and fans who supported it throughout.

“Over these 10 years, the energy from the fans is what kept the staff moving forward. If this anime brought joy to everyone, then these have been the best 10 years.” — Nagasaki Kenji, Director

Full List of Winners at Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026

• Anime of the Year: 僕のヒーローアカデミア FINAL SEASON (My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON)
• Best Continuing Series: ONE PIECE
• Best New Series: ガチアクタ (Gachiakuta)
• Film of the Year: 劇場版「鬼滅の刃」無限城編 第一章 狛犬座再来 (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle Arc, Chapter 1)
• Best Original Anime: LAZARUS ラザロ
• Best Animation: 俺だけレベルアップな件 Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- (Solo Leveling Season 2)
• Best Character Design: ガチアクタ (Gachiakuta)
• Best Director: Fudesaka Akinori and Naganuma Norihiro — 薬屋のひとりごと (The Apothecary Diaries) Season 2
• Best Background Art: ガチアクタ (Gachiakuta)
• Best Romance Anime: 咲る花は凛と咲く (Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku)
• Best Comedy Anime: ダンダダン (DAN DA DAN) Season 2
• Best Action Anime: 俺だけレベルアップな件 Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- (Solo Leveling Season 2)
• Global Impact Award: Director Nagamine Tatsuya (undisclosed)
• Best Isekai Anime: Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 3rd season (Re:ZERO Season 3)
• Best Drama Anime: 薬屋のひとりごと (The Apothecary Diaries) Season 2
• Best Slice of Life Anime: SPYxFAMILY Season 3
• Best Lead Character: Maomao — 薬屋のひとりごと (The Apothecary Diaries) Season 2
• Best Supporting Character: Bakugo Katsuki — 僕のヒーローアカデミア FINAL SEASON
• Must-Protect Character: Anya Forger — SPYxFAMILY Season 3
• Best Anime Song: “IRIS OUT” — 米津玄師 (Kenshi Yonezu) — 劇場版『チェンソーマン レゼ篇』(Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc)
• Best Score: 劇場版「鬼滅の刃」無限城編 第一章 狛犬座再来
• Best Opening Sequence: “革命道中” — Aini Ji End — ダンダダン (DAN DA DAN) Season 2
• Best Ending Sequence: “I” — BUMP OF CHICKEN — 僕のヒーローアカデミア FINAL SEASON
• Best VA Performance (Japanese): Yuuki Aoi — Maomao — 薬屋のひとりごと (The Apothecary Diaries) Season 2

Highlights from the Winners

Best Animation — Solo Leveling Season 2 (Director: Nakashige Shunsuke)

Director Nakashige said he was very surprised to receive this award, since the series had been on air for over a year, yet fans continued to vote passionately. He noted that from episode 21 onward in Season 2, the team had to push hard every single week in a battlefield situation — but everyone worked together wholeheartedly and managed to finish it beautifully.

Best Anime Song — “IRIS OUT” (represented by Sony Music)

The representative from Kenshi Yonezu’s Sony Music team revealed that Yonezu has been a longtime Chainsaw Man fan since the TV series, and “IRIS OUT” was crafted in close collaboration with the anime production team. In particular, the process of adding the character Reze’s voice into the song in the second half made the song and the anime become one unified work.

Best Continuing Series — ONE PIECE (Director: Ito Soichi)

Director Ito noted that this is the third time ONE PIECE has won this award at a Japan-hosted ceremony, and his greatest pride is that both the veteran and newer members of the team continue to collaborate to deliver consistently strong work. He also observed that international fans are increasingly responsive to action sequences and character presentations at a finer level than ever before.

Film of the Year — Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1 (Director: Sotozaki Haruo and Photography Director: Terao Yuji)

Director Sotozaki expressed his joy that audiences around the world had watched and loved the film. Photography director Terao compared the work to a demon charging endlessly through an infinite castle — ultimately they made it through, and production on what fans are eagerly awaiting continues.

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Source: aniani