Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026 Nominees Revealed in Full

Popular anime like Solo Leveling Season 2, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, and Chainsaw Man – The Movie are among the top contenders nominated for the 2026 Anime Awards.

2025 was a huge year for anime, and that’s reflected in the nominations for the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. One series received many nominations, including for Anime of the Year. However, Frieren only took home four awards out of the twenty it was up for.

I was really hoping to see Frieren get her revenge this year, but it looks like Solo Leveling Season 2: Arise from the Shadow has its work cut out for it! There’s a ton of other great stuff coming out, like Season 2 of Dandadan, Gachiakuta, and Takopi’s Original Sin. Plus, we’ve got this amazing new showdown brewing between two incredible movies – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle and Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc! It’s going to be a fantastic year for anime and manga, but the competition is fierce.

The 10th annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards will be held in Tokyo at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa on May 23, 2026. Voting will be open until April 15, 2026.

2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards Nominees

Anime of the Year

DAN DA DAN Season 2
Gachiakuta
My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
Takopi’s Original Sin
The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
The Summer Hikaru Died

Film of the Year

100 Meters
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II — The Ashes of Rage
Scarlet
The Rose of Versailles

Best Original Anime

Apocalypse Hotel
DIGIMON BEATBREAK
Lazarus
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX
Moonrise
ZENSHU

Best Continuing Series

DAN DA DAN Season 2
Kaiju No. 8
My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
ONE PIECE
Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
SPY x FAMILY Season 3

Best New Series

Clevatess
Gachiakuta
SAKAMOTO DAYS
Takopi’s Original Sin
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity
The Summer Hikaru Died

Best Opening Sequence

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 Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
THE REVO — PORNOGRAFFITTI — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
Watch Me! — YOASOBI — WITCH WATCH

Best Ending Sequence

Actor — Lilas Ikuta — SPY x FAMILY Season 3
Beautiful Colors — OneRepublic — Kaiju No. 8
Doukashiteru — WurtS — DAN DA DAN Season 2
I — BUMP OF CHICKEN — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
Kawaii Kaiwai — PiKi — My Dress—Up Darling Season 2
UN-APEX — TK from Ling Tosite Sigure — Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-

Best Action

DAN DA DAN Season 2
Gachiakuta
Kaiju No. 8
My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
ONE PIECE
Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-

Best Comedy

CITY THE ANIMATION
DAN DA DAN Season 2
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2
Ranma1/2 Season2
SPY x FAMILY Season 3
WITCH WATCH

Best Drama

Anne Shirley
Blue Box
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth
Takopi’s Original Sin
The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
The Summer Hikaru Died

Best Isekai Anime

Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill Season 2
Disney Twisted-Wonderland: The Animation — Season 1 “Episode of Heartslabyul”
From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad’s Been Reincarnated!
KONOSUBA -God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! 3 -BONUS STAGE-
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3
ZENSHU

Best Romance

Blue Box
DAN DA DAN Season 2
Honey Lemon Soda
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2
Ranma1/2 Season2
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity

Best Slice of Life

Anne Shirley
Blue Box
CITY THE ANIMATION
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2
SPY x FAMILY Season 3
The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity

Best Animation

DAN DA DAN Season 2
Gachiakuta
My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
ONE PIECE
Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
Takopi’s Original Sin

Best Background Art

CITY THE ANIMATION
DAN DA DAN Season 2
Gachiakuta
Kowloon Generic Romance
The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
The Summer Hikaru Died

Best Character Design

DAN DA DAN Season 2
Gachiakuta
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2
ONE PIECE
Takopi’s Original Sin
The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)

Best Director

Akinori Fudesaka, Norihiro Naganuma — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
Fuga Yamashiro and Abel Góngora — DAN DA DAN Season 2
Fumihiko Suganuma — Gachiakuta
Kenji Nagasaki, Naomi Nakayama — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
Ryohei Takeshita — The Summer Hikaru Died
Shinya Iino — Takopi’s Original Sin

Best Main Character

Izuku Midoriya — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
Maomao — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
Momo — DAN DA DAN Season 2
Okarun — DAN DA DAN Season 2
Rudo — Gachiakuta
Sung Jinwoo — Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-

Best Supporting Character

Enjin — Gachiakuta
Jin Enjoji (Jiji) — DAN DA DAN Season 2
Jinshi — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
Katsuki Bakugo — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
Loulan/Shisui — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
Turbo Granny — DAN DA DAN Season 2

“Must Protect At All Cost” Character

Anya Forger — SPY x FAMILY Season 3
Izuku Midoriya — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
Kaoruko Waguri — The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity
Maomao — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
Suika — Dr. STONE SCIENCE FUTURE
Takopi — Takopi’s Original Sin

Best Anime Song

In Bloom — Lilas Ikuta — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
IRIS OUT — Kenshi Yonezu — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
JANE DOE — Kenshi Yonezu and Hikaru Utada — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
On The Way — AiNA THE END — DAN DA DAN Season 2
ReawakeR (feat. Felix of Stray Kids) — LiSA — Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
Watch Me! — YOASOBI — WITCH WATCH

Best Score

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc — kensuke ushio
DAN DA DAN Season 2 — kensuke ushio
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle — Yuki Kajiura, Go Shiina
Gachiakuta — Taku Iwasaki
Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- — Hiroyuki Sawano
The Apothecary Diaries (season 2) — Satoru Kosaki, Kevin Penkin, Alisa Okehazama

Best Voice Artist Performance (Japanese)

Aoi Yuki — Maomao — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
Chiaki Kobayashi — Yoshiki Tsujinaka — The Summer Hikaru Died
Daiki Yamashita — Izuku Midoriya — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
Kikunosuke Toya — Denji — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
Mayumi Tanaka — Monkey D. Luffy — ONE PIECE
Reina Ueda — Reze — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc

Best Voice Artist Performance (English)

Alexis Tipton — Reze — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
Emi Lo — Maomao — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
Justin Briner — Izuku Midoriya — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
Lucien Dodge — Akaza — Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
Morgan Berry — Shiori Fuyumura — SANDA
Paul Castro Jr. — Hikaru Indou — The Summer Hikaru Died

Best Voice Artist Performance (Arabic)

Hamoud Abu Hassoun — Loid Forger (Childhood) — SPY x FAMILY Season 3
Tariq Obaid — Taro Sakamoto — SAKAMOTO DAYS
Moataz El—Shazly — Heisuke Mashimo — SAKAMOTO DAYS
Raafat Bazo — Yuri Briar — SPY x FAMILY Season 3
Fatima Zakaria — Osaragi — SAKAMOTO DAYS
Ghada Omar — Yor Forger — SPY x FAMILY Season 3

Best Voice Artist Performance (Brazilian Portuguese)

Bruno Sangregório — Levi Ackerman — Attack on Titan: THE LAST ATTACK
Charles Emmanuel — Akaza — Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
Erick Bougleux — Zanka Nijiku — Gachiakuta
Fabio Lucindo — Katsuki Bakugo — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
Gigi Patta — Maomao — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
Ursula Bezerra — Son Goku — Dragon Ball DAIMA

Best Voice Artist Performance (Castilian Spanish)

Adrián Pineda — Rudo — Gachiakuta
Carles Teruel — Akaza — Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
Cristina Peña — Reze — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
Joel Gómez Jiménez — Okarun — DAN DA DAN Season 2
Marisa Marciel — Nami — ONE PIECE
Marta Barbará — Kaoruko Waguri — The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity

Best Voice Artist Performance (French)

Bastien Bourlé — Izuku Midoriya — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
Bruno Mullenaerts — Enjin — Gachiakuta
Catherine Hanotiau — Nico Wakatsuki — WITCH WATCH
Clara Soares — Reze — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
Jonathan Gimbord — Hikaru — The Summer Hikaru Died
Véronique Augereau — Seiko — DAN DA DAN Season 2

Best Voice Artist Performance (German)

Dirk Bublies — Kogoro Mori — Detective Conan: One—eyed Flashback
Gerrit Schmidt—Foß — Akaza — Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
Laurine Betz — Reze — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
Magdalena Höfner — Kiui Watase — Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night
Markus Feustel — Rudo — Gachiakuta
Patricia Strasburger — Nico Wakatsuki — WITCH WATCH

Best Voice Artist Performance (Hindi)

Abhishek Sharma — Jinshi — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
Akshita Mishra — Koyuki — Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
Heena Malik — Reze — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
Merlyn James — Anya Forger — SPY x FAMILY Season 3
Rajesh Shukla — Sung Jinwoo — Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
Shilpie Pandey — Lufas Maphaahl — A Wild Last Boss Appeared!

Best Voice Artist Performance (Italian)

Katia Sorrentino — Momo — DAN DA DAN Season 2
Leonardo Graziano — Naruto Uzumaki — BORUTO: NARUTO THE MOVIE
Luna Fogu — Maomao — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
Martina Tamburello — Kikoru Shinomiya — Kaiju No. 8
Mosè Singh — Denji — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
Simone Lupinacci — Izuku Midoriya — My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON

Best Voice Artist Performance (Latin Spanish)

Desireé González — Maomao — The Apothecary Diaries (season 2)
Dion González — Rudo — Gachiakuta
Erika Langarica — Marin Kitagawa — My Dress-Up Darling Season 2
Fernando Moctezuma — Sung Jinwoo — Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
Jessica Ángeles — Reze — Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
Jose Antonio Toledano — Akaza — Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle

The first group of celebrity presenters for the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards will reveal the winners both before and during the live show. They’ll announce winners during the Pre-Show on Saturday, May 23rd at 5:00 PM JST, and then again during the main Ceremony at 6:00 PM JST.

Asuka Saito — Actor admired for her magnetic presence and generational voice.
DANNA — Internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter, and actress from Mexico.
Enako — Globally celebrated cosplayer known for bringing beloved characters to life.
hannah bahng — Australian singer-songwriter, producer, and visual artist.
Kasumi Arimura — Award-winning actor recognized for her emotional depth and versatility.
Mitorizu — Fan-favorite comedy duo known for sharp wit and electric chemistry.
Nanase Nishino — Acclaimed actor beloved for her heartfelt performances.
Nyvi Estephan — Leading esports and gaming host in Brazil.
RZA — Visionary producer, filmmaker, and founding architect of Wu-Tang Clan.
Rashmika Mandanna — Known as ‘India’s Sweetheart’, she’s the most prominent pan-India star.
Snitchery — creative powerhouse known for shaping viral moments through cosplay
Winston Duke — globally acclaimed actor, producer, and cultural visionary.

Dean Fujioka, the artist behind the opening theme song for Yuri!!! On Ice, will kick off the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. This is a tribute to the series, which was the very first winner of the Anime of the Year award at the inaugural Crunchyroll Anime Awards on January 28, 2017.

The event will also include a live performance by the rock band PORNOGRAFFITTI towards the end of the show. A special tribute will feature Japanese singer Yoko Takahashi, famous for singing the memorable opening theme song “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” accompanied by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.

And to close things out, the popular Japanese rock band ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION will be playing their 2003 song “Haruka Kanata.” You might recognize it as the second opening theme for the original Naruto anime!

According to Hiroki Totoki, President and CEO of Sony Group Corporation, the Crunchyroll Anime Awards are a worldwide event designed to let fans show their support for the people who make their favorite anime.

For the second time, Totoki will kick off the Crunchyroll Anime Awards live show. This year’s ceremony will be hosted by voice actress Sally Amaki and entertainer Jon Kabira.

According to Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini, this year’s Anime Awards nominees include almost 50 different shows and movies, all selected by fans as their favorites from the past year. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the awards, Crunchyroll also recognizes the contributions of past nominees – over 110 animation studios that have created nearly 290 series and films, and more than 220 voice actors who have brought cherished characters to life.

2026-04-02 20:34

2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards Nominees

Read More