The global anime streaming giant, Crunchyroll, announced that the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026 will return to Tokyo, Japan, on May 23, 2026, marking the tenth instalment of the event.
It will be graced by a global pre-show, star-studded orange carpet, and once-in-a-lifetime performances, all in support of honouring 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 Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026. Japanese singer Yoko Takahashi will perform a 30th anniversary tribute to 1995’s seminal anime Neon Genesis Evangelion featuring the iconic theme song “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, with 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.
He further added, “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 vote for the series, films, creators, and performances they love, 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 Jan 1 and Dec 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’s Lauren Moore and Tim Lyu.
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards is the leading yearly awards program honouring the creators, musicians, and performers 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.
Source: Press Release
