A concluding shonen series walks away with Anime of the Year
Image: Science Saru
Crunchyroll’s annual Anime Awards were held on Saturday, May 23, celebrating the best in Japanese animation in a ceremony that was driven by fan-based voting. The 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards celebrated a big year for anime series like Dan Da Dan and The Apothecary Diaries, which led the group with nominations — 20 in total for Dan Da Dan across more than a dozen categories.
It was also a big year for anime in film, with Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc leading the race with 13 nominations. Predictably, global smash-hit Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle walked away with the Film of the Year award.
At the 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards, which was held at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo, My Hero Academia Final Season walked away with Anime of the Year, while Gachiakuta got the win for Best New Series. Presenters at this year’s awards show included celebrity anime fans like actor Winston Duke, Wu-Tang Clan founder RZA, The Weekend, and Australian singer-songwriter Hannah Bahng. The Global Impact Award went to director Tatsuya Nagamine, who passed away in 2025.
You can rewatch the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026 broadcast below, or read on for the full winners list across 32 categories.
2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards Winners and 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 season 2
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 season 2
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
