Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026 Draws Record 73 Million Votes as My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON Wins Anime of the Year

Crunchyroll has announced the winners of the tenth annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards in Tokyo, marking a milestone year for the global celebration of Japanese animation with a record 73 million votes cast by fans worldwide.

Held at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa, the 2026 edition honoured creators, musicians and performers who continue to shape anime’s global cultural impact. The ceremony was hosted by voice actress Sally Amaki and entertainer Jon Kabira, who returned for their fourth consecutive year as hosts.

The biggest award of the night, Anime of the Year, was presented on behalf of global fans by artist The Weeknd, who announced My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON as the winner. The moment highlighted the franchise’s long-standing influence and its concluding chapter’s strong global reception.

This year’s winners were revealed by an international lineup of celebrity presenters including actor Asuka Saito, K pop artist BamBam, cosplayer Enako, actor Kasumi Arimura, comedian duo Mitorizu, actor Nanase Nishino, esports host Nyvi Estephan, actress Rashmika Mandanna, Wu Tang Clan founder RZA, K pop performer TEN, actor Winston Duke and Grammy nominated artist Young Miko.

The pre show broadcast, streamed live from the same venue, was hosted by Crunchyroll presenters Lauren Moore and Tim Lyu alongside YouTube creator Gigguk. Additional awards were presented by singer DANNA, musician Ethan Bortnick, singer songwriter hannah bahng and cosplayer Snitchery.

The ceremony opened with a special orchestral tribute to nearly a decade of Anime of the Year winners, performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra with arrangements by Kazunori Miyake and conducted by Hirofumi Kurita. The segment concluded with a performance by DEAN FUJIOKA of “History Maker” from Yuri!!! on ICE, the first ever Anime of the Year recipient at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards.

Music played a major role throughout the night, with performances honouring iconic anime franchises. Yoko Takahashi marked the 30th anniversary of Neon Genesis Evangelion with “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis”, PORNOGRAFFITTI performed in celebration of My Hero Academia’s 10th anniversary and finale, and ASIAN KUNG FU GENERATION delivered “Haruka Kanata”, the well-known opening theme from Naruto.

A special Global Impact Award was presented to director Tatsuya Nagamine in recognition of his influential work across major anime series including Ojamajo Doremi, PreCure, Dragon Ball Super and ONE PIECE. A tribute segment highlighted his career contributions, with animator Masayuki Sato accepting the award on his behalf.

Crunchyroll reported that the 2026 awards saw participation from fans across the world, with Brazil, Germany, India, Mexico and the United States among the most active voting countries. In total, 73 million votes were recorded, setting a new benchmark for the annual event.

The full Anime Awards show, including exclusive content, will be available for streaming on Crunchyroll, the Crunchyroll YouTube channel, and Sony Group and Sony Music Japan YouTube platforms. The event was held on 23 May 2026 and supported by Sony Music Solutions and Dempsey Productions.

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