“Gachiakuta,” “The Rose of Versailles,” and “The Summer When Hikaru Died” are among the nominees for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026. It is the largest global celebration of excellence in Japanese animation, and winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on May 23rd by celebrity presenters including Asuka Saito, Danna, and RZA.
The awards, now in their 10th year, include a wide range of categories including Best Continuing Series, Best Opening Sequence and Best Action. Nominated films for Anime of the Year include Dan Da Dan Season 2, Gachiakuta, My Hero Academia, Tacopi’s Original Sin, Yakuza no Monogoto Season 2, and The Summer When Hikaru Died. Nominated for Movie of the Year are “100 Meters”, “Chainsawman the Movie: Reza”, “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Castle”, “Mononoke the Movie: Chapter 2: Ashes of Fury”, “Scarlet”, and “The Rose of Versailles.”
“The Crunchyroll Anime Awards is a global celebration where fans share their love and appreciation for the creators of their favorite titles. This year’s nominees include nearly 50 unique series and films, all of which were chosen by fans as the most beloved films of the past year,” Crunchyroll President Rahul Plini said in a statement. “As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Anime Awards, we also want to thank the nominees from the past decade, which include more than 110 animation studios who have created nearly 290 unique series and films, and more than 220 voice actors who have contributed their talents to beloved characters.”
Presenters will also include Enako, Hannah Byrne, Kasumi Arimura, Mitorizu, Nanase Nishino, Nivi Estefan, Rashmika Mandanna, Snitchery and Winston Duke. This year’s awards will also feature a number of musical homages to anime, including performances by Dean Fujioka and rock band Porno Graffitti. At the ceremony, Sony Group Inc. President and CEO Hiroki Totoki will give an opening address, and voice actor Sally Amaki and popular entertainer John Kabila will serve as emcees.
Voting is now open and will close on April 15th. Voting can be done on the official Anime Awards website and on Crunchyroll. See the full list of candidates below.
anime of the year
“Dan Da Dan” Season 2 “Gachi Acta” “My Hero Academia” “Original Sin of Tacopi” “Horigoto of the Apothecary” Season 2 “The Summer When Hikaru Died”
movie of the year
“100 Meters”, “Chainsawman the Movie: Reze”, “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Castle”, “Mononoke the Movie: Chapter 2: Ashes of Wrath”, “Scarlet”, “The Rose of Versailles”
Best original anime
“Apocalypse Hotel”, “Digimon Beat Break”, “Lazarus”, “Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX”, “Moonrise”, “Zenshu”
Best Continuing Series Award
“Dan Da Dan” Season 2 “Kaiju No. 8” “My Hero Academia” “One Piece” “Solo Leveling” Season 2 “Spy Family” Season 3
Best new series
“Clevetes”, “Gachiakuta”, “Sakamoto Days”, “Original Sin of Takopi”, “The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity”, “The Summer When Hikaru Died”
Best opening sequence award
“Hugs” – Paledusk – “Gachiakuta” “Mirage” – Creepy Nuts – “Call of the Night” Season 2 “On The Way” – AiNA THE END – “Dan Da Dan” Season 2 “ReawakeR” (feat. Felix of Stray Kids) – LiSA – “Solo Leveling” “The Revo” – Pornography – “My Hero Academia” “Watch Me!” — YOASOBI — “Witch Watch”
best ending sequence
Actor — Laila Ikuta — “Spy×Family” Season 3 Beautiful Colors — OneRepublic — “Kaiju No. 8” Doukashiteru — WurtS — “Dan Da Dan” Season 2 I — BUMP OF CHICKEN — “My Hero Academia” Kawaii Kaiwai — PiKi — “Kisekae Darling” Season 2 UN-APEX — TK from Ling Toshi Sigure — “Solo Leveling”
best action
“Dan Da Dan” Season 2 “Gachi Acta” “Kaiju No. 8” “My Hero Academia” “One Piece” “Solo Leveling” Season 2
best comedy
“City THE ANIMATION” “Dan Da Dan” “Darling” Season 2 “Ranma 1/2” Season 2 “Spy×Family” Season 3 “Witch Watch”
Best drama award
“Anne Shirley” “The Blue Box” “Orb: About the Movement of the Earth” “Original Sin of Takopi” “The Apothecary’s Monologue” Season 2 “The Summer When Hikaru Died”
Best isekai anime
“Demonstrative Skills for Meals in Another World” Season 2 “Disney Twisted Wonderland The Animation” “Episode of Hearts Love” “From a Bureaucrat to a Villainous Lady: My Father Reincarnated!” “KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! 3” “Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World” Season 3 “Everyone”
best romance
“Blue Box” “Dan Da Dan” Season 2 “Honey Lemon Soda” “Dress Up Darling” Season 2 “Ranma 1/2” Season 2 “Dignified Blooming Fragrant Flower”
A piece of the best life
“Anne Shirley” “Blue Box” “City The Animation” “Dress Up Darling” Season 2 “Spy Family” Season 3 “Scented Flowers Bloom Dignified”
Best animation work
“Dan Da Dan” Season 2 “Gachi Acta” “My Hero Academia” “One Piece” “Solo Leveling” Season 2 “Tacopi’s Original Sin”
Best background art award
“City THE ANIMATION” “Dan Da Dan” Season 2 “Gachi Acta” “Kowloon Generic Romance” “Apothecary’s Monologue” Season 2 “The Summer When Hikaru Died”
Best Character Design Award
“Dan Da Dan” Season 2 “Gachi Acta” “Dress Up Darling” Season 2 “One Piece” “Original Sin of Tacopi” “Apothecary’s Monogoto” Season 2
Best Director Award
Akinori Fusaka, Norihiro Naganuma — “Apothecary’s Monogoto” Season 2 Fuga Yamashiro, Abel Gongora — “Dan Da Dan” Season 2 Fumihiko Suganuma — “Gachiakuta” Kenji Nagasaki, Naomi Nakayama — “My Hero Academia” Ryohei Takeshita — “The Summer When Hikaru Died” Shinya Iino — “Original Sin of Tacopi”
best main character
Izuku Midoriya — “My Hero Academia” Maomako — “Apothecary’s Monologue” Season 2 Momo — “Dan Da Dan” Season 2 Ocalan — “Dan Da Dan” Season 2 Ludo — “Gachi Acta” Sung Jin Woo — “Solo Leveling” Season 2
Best supporting character
Enjin — “Gachiakuta” Hitoshi Enjouji (Jiji) — “Dan Da Dan” Season 2 Jinji — “The Apothecary’s Monologue” Season 2 Katsuki Bakugou — “My Hero Academia” Laurent/Shisui — “The Apothecary’s Monologue” Season 2 Turbo Granny — “Dan Da Dan” Season 2
A character that “must be protected at all costs”
Anya Folger — “Spy×Family” Season 3 Izuku Midoriya — “My Hero Academia” Kaoruko Waguri — “Koma’s Flowers Bloom with Dignity” Maomako — “The Apothecary’s Monologue” Season 2 Watermelon — “Dr.STONE Science Future” Tacopi — “Tacopi’s Original Sin”
best anime song
“In Bloom” – Lila Ikuta – “The Apothecary’s Monologue” Season 2 “Iris Out” – Kenshi Yonezu – “Chainsaw Man the Movie: Reze Edition” “Jane Doe” – Kenshi Yonezu, Hikaru Utada – “Chainsaw Man the Movie: Reza Edition” “On The Way” – AiNA THE END – “Dan Da Dan” Season 2 “ReawakeR” (feat. Felix of Stray Kids) — LiSA — “Solo Leveling” Season 2 – Awakening from the Shadows” “Watch Me!” — YOASOBI — “Witch Watch”
best score
“Chainsaw Man: Theatrical Edition” — Kensuke Ushio “Dan Da Dan” Season 2 — Kensuke Ushio “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Castle” — Yuki Kajiura, Go Shiina “Gachiakuta” — Taku Iwasaki “Solo Leveling” Season 2 -Awakening from the Shadows- — Hiroyuki Sawano “Apothecary’s Monologue” Season 2 — Satoru Ozaki, Kevin Penkin, Arisa Okehazama
Best Voice Actor Artist Performance (Japanese)
Aoi Yuuki – Maomako – “Apothecary’s Monogoto” Season 2 Chiaki Kobayashi – Yoshiki Tsujinaka – “The Summer When Hikaru Died” Daiki Yamashita – Izuku Midoriya – “My Hero Academia” Kikunosuke Toya – Denji – Chainsaw Man – “Resés the Movie” Mayumi Tanaka – Monkey D. Luffy – “One Piece” Rena Ueda – Reze – Chainsaw Man – “Resé the Movie”
Best Voice Actor Artist Performance (English)
Alexis Tipton — Reze — “Chainsawman the Movie: Reze” Emi Law — Maomako — “Apothecary’s Monologue” Season 2 Justin Briner — Izuku Midoriya — “My Hero Academia” Lucien Dodge — Akaza — “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Castle” Morgan Berry — Shiori Fuyumura — “SANDA” Paul Castro Jr. — Hikaru Inudo — “The Summer When Hikaru Died”
Best Voice Actor Artist Performance (Arabic)
Hamoud Abu Hassun — Lloyd Forger (Childhood) — “SPY x FAMILY Season 3” Tariq Obaid — Taro Sakamoto — “SAKAMOTO DAYS” Moatas El-Shazly — Heisuke Mashita — “SAKAMOTO DAYS” Raafat Bazo — Yuri Breyer — “SPY x Family” Season 3 Fatima Zakaria — Obutsugi — “SAKAMOTO DAYS” Ghada Omar — Yol Folger — “Spy x Family” Season 3
Best Voice Actor Artist Performance (Brazilian Portuguese)
Bruno Sangregorio — Levi Ackermann — “Attack on Titan: THE LAST ATTACK” Charles Emmanuel — Akaza — “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Castle” Eric Bouguereux — Rainbow Zanka — “Gachiakuta” Fabio Lucindo — Katsuki Bakugo — “My Hero Academia” Gigi Pata — Maomako — “Apothecary’s Monologue” Season 2 Ursula Bezerra — Son Goku — “Dragon Ball DAIMA”
Best Voice Actor Artist Performance (Castilian Spanish)
Adrian Pineda ─ Rudo ─ “Gachiacta” Carles Teruel ─ Akaza ─ “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Castle” Cristina Peña ─ Reze ─ “Chainsaw Man the Movie: Reze Edition” Joel Gomez Jimenez ─ “Dan Da Dan” Season 2 Marisa Marciel ─ “Dan Da Dan” Season 2 Marisa Marciel ─ Nami ─ “One Piece” Marta Barbara ─ Kaoruko Waguri ─ “The Fragrant Flower Blooms” with Dignity”
Best Voice Actor Artist Performance Award (French)
Bastien Boulle — Izuku Midoriya — “My Hero Academia” Bruno Mulenaerts — Enjin — “Gatiakuta” Catherine Hannotio — Nico Wakatsuki — “Witchwatch” Clara Soares — Reze — Chainsaw Man — “Resé the Movie” Jonathan Gimbode — Hikaru — “The Summer When Hikaru Died” Véronique Augereau — Seiko — “Dan Da Dan” Season 2
Best Voice Actor Artist Performance (German)
Dark Bubbles — Kogoro Mouri — “Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback” Gerrit Schmidt — Foss — Akaza — “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Castle” Laurine Betts — Reze — “Chainsawman the Movie: Reze” Magdalena Hefner — Nozomi Watase — “Jellyfish Can’t Swim at Night” Markus Festel — Ruud — “Gachiacta” Patricia Strassberger — Nico Wakatsuki — “Witchwatch”
Best Voice Actor Artist Performance (Hindi)
Abhishek Sharma — Jinshi — “Apothecary’s Monologues” Season 2 Akshita Mishra — Koyuki — “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Castle” Heena Malik — Reze — “Chainsawman the Movie: Reze Edition” Merlin James — Anya Folger — “Spy x Family” Season 3 Rajesh Shukla — Song Jinoo — “Solo Leveling” Season 2 – Rising from the Shadows – Shilpie Pandey ― Rufus Mafal ― “The wild final boss has appeared!”
Best Voice Actor Artist Performance Award (Italy)
Katia Sorrentino — Momo — “Dan Da Dan” Season 2 Leonardo Graziano — Naruto Uzumaki — “BORUTO the Movie” Luna Fog — Maomako — “Apothecary’s Monologue” Season 2 Martina Tamburello — Kikoru Shinomiya — “Kaiju No. 8” Moses Shin — Denji — Chainsaw Man — “Resé the Movie” Simone Lupinacci — Izuku Midoriya – “My Hero Academia”
Best Voice Actor Artist Performance (Latin Spanish)
Desiree González — Maomao — “Apothecary’s Monologue” Season 2 Dion Gonzalez — Rudo — “Gachiacta” Erika Langarica — Marin Kitagawa — “Dress Up Darling” Season 2 Fernando Moctezuma — Song Jin Woo — “Solo Leveling” Season 2 -Awakening from the Shadows- Jessica Angeles — Reze — “Chainsaw Man” “The Movie: Reze Edition” Jose Antonio Toledano — Aquarium — “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugenjou”
