The Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026 ceremony was held on May 23 at the Grand Prince Hotel Shinkansen, Tokyo, marking the 10th anniversary of the event that first launched in 2017. The top prize, Anime of the Year, went to Boku no Hero Academia FINAL SEASON (僕のヒーローアカデミア FINAL SEASON).

Crunchyroll Anime Awards Celebrates 10 Years

This year’s awards considered anime that aired, streamed, or screened in theaters between January 1 and December 31, 2025, in Japan and internationally. An industry jury of anime professionals handled the nominations, which were then combined with global fan votes to determine winners across 32 categories.

The Anime of the Year nominees were Dandadan Season 2, Kusuriya no Hitorigoto Season 2, Gachiakuta, Boku no Hero Academia FINAL SEASON, Takopi no Genzai, and Hikari ga Shinda Natsu.

Beyond the 32 main categories, the ceremony also presented the Global Impact Award, given to a creator or work that has left a lasting mark on anime history. This year it went to veteran anime director Nagamine Tatsuyuki, who passed away in August 2025. Animator Sato Masanobu, who collaborated with him on titles such as Happiness Charge PreCure! and ONE PIECE, accepted the award on his behalf.

“10 Years of the Best Relationship” — My Hero Academia’s Chief Director Thanks the Fans

Nagasaki Kenji, who served as director for seasons 1–3 and chief director from season 4 onward, accepted the award on stage and said:

“A full 10 years since we first aired, and last year we were able to bring it to a perfect close thanks to everyone’s support. Receiving this award as a summation of everything we accomplished feels truly wonderful.”

He also reflected on the early days, recalling how difficult it was at first to translate the energy of the manga into animation, and how the warm reception after it aired gave him the confidence to keep creating something even more exciting.

When asked about future projects, Nagasaki said he wants to work with people who share the same passion, and closed with a heartfelt message of thanks to the fans:

“Throughout these 10 years, we have drawn strength from the voices of our fans. The animation team is always energized when it sees viewers happy, and that energy has kept us going for 10 years while continuing to make viewers happy — it truly has been 10 years of the best relationship.”

In addition to Anime of the Year, Boku no Hero Academia FINAL SEASON also won Best Ending Theme for “1” by BUMP OF CHICKEN, and Best Male Supporting Character for Bakugo Katsuki.

Demon Slayer Film Takes Film of the Year

The Film of the Year award went to Gekijouban Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen-jou-hen Dai-isshou — Akaza Raikou (劇場版『鬼滅の刃』無限城編 第一章 狛犬再来), directed by Sotozaki Haruo with cinematography by Terao Yuichi.

Sotozaki said he was moved by the large audiences and warm reception, while Terao spoke about the challenges of production:

“There were so many challenges. While we were working I was constantly wondering whether we could pull it off — it felt like being a demon hunter trapped in an endless castle, yet I always believed we would eventually win. Finishing it felt absolutely wonderful.”

The Best Score award also went to the same film, with Kajiwara Yuki and Shiina Gou accepting the prize. Kajiwara talked about the approach to the music, explaining that it was composed in three-dimensional sound with international audiences in mind, in order to create the atmosphere of the endless castle through music.

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto and Gachiakuta Win Multiple Awards

Kusuriya no Hitorigoto Season 2 (薬屋のひとりごと) swept several categories, taking Best Director (Fudezaka Akinori and Nakanuma Norihiro), Best Drama Anime, Best Female Lead (Maomao), and Best Japanese Voice Performance (Yuuki Aoi for Maomao). Director Fudezaka took the stage to loud cheers from Maomao, saying the manga source material was already so much fun and the team poured their enthusiasm into it, adding that he hopes a season 3 and a film follow.

Gachiakuta (ガチアクタ) also shone brightly, winning Best New Series, Best Character Design, and Best Soundtrack. Director Suganuma Fumihiko said with surprise that he was “completely shocked and blown away,” giving full credit to Bones Film for their outstanding animation work, and expressed his commitment to delivering an even better story and action in the future.

LAZARUS Wins Best Original Anime — Solo Leveling Still Going Strong

The Best Original Anime award went to LAZARUS ラザロ, produced by MAPPA and SOLA DIGITAL ARTS. Producer Josef Jou from SOLA DIGITAL ARTS, who the previous year accepted an award as producer of NINJA KAMUI, said:

“Creating an original anime is something truly wonderful. I want to keep producing original works.”

He also mentioned that director Watanabe Shinichirou has fans among creators worldwide, and that the project received collaboration from action director Chad Stahelski, features over 30 tracks from three top artists, and has producer Matsunaga Michito from MAPPA praising the animation team that brought Chad’s action vision to life with exceptional skill.

Ore dake Level Up na Ken Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- (俺だけレベルアップな件), which won Anime of the Year the previous year, remained a force to be reckoned with, taking Best Action Animation and Best Action Anime. Director Nakashige Shunsuke said he was amazed that a work which aired more than a year ago still receives such support from fans, and praised the sustained quality of production throughout episode 21 and beyond, thanks to the outstanding action sequences.

The Best Continuing Series award went to ONE PIECE.

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Source: animeanime