After a breakout year for anime across streaming and on the big screen, Crunchyroll announced the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards will return to Tokyo, Japan on 23rd May. The marquis tenth celebration will be punctuated by a global pre-show, star-studded orange carpet, and once-in-a-lifetime performances, all in support of honoring nominees across thirty two categories of anime.
Popular voice actress and performer Sally Amaki and renowned entertainer Jon Kabira will return as co-hosts for the fourth straight year.
Crunchyroll also revealed a preliminary music lineup for the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Japanese singer Yoko Takahashi will perform a 30th anniversary tribute to 1995’s seminal anime Neon Genesis Evangelion featuring the renowned theme “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis.” Symphonic suites conducted by Hirofumi Kurita, performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and arranged by Kazunori Miyake will accent the ceremony. More to be announced soon!
“For the past decade, the Crunchyroll Anime Awards has been shaped by the fans who show up every year to celebrate the stories and creators they love,” said Rahul Purini, President of Crunchyroll. “What began with a few million votes in 2017 has grown into tens of millions of voices from around the world, reflecting how deeply anime has become part of people’s lives. Returning to Japan is about celebrating where these stories begin and the fans everywhere who make them live far beyond the screen.”
Nominees will be revealed on April 2 alongside the start of global fan voting. Fans are invited to mark their calendars and fight for the series, films, creators and performances they loved, helping determine winners across 32 categories that capture the medium’s contributions to entertainment. The full list of categories can be found on the Crunchyroll Anime Awards Official Website.
The nominees in each category will be selected from eligible titles that premiered between January 1 and December 31 in 2025 by the passionate and independent 2026 Anime Awards judges who represent global creatives, tastemakers, experts, and influencers.
The global pre-show preceding the ceremony will once again be hosted by Crunchyroll’sLauren Moore and Tim Lyu.
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards is the leading yearly awards program honoring the creators, musicians, and performances powering the global love of anime. Sony Music Solutions Inc., part of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Dempsey Productions will support Crunchyroll in the execution of the event. The event will be livestreamed for global audiences.
