73 Million Votes. One Epic Night in Tokyo. Anime's Biggest Awards Just Changed Everything.
Imagine 73 million fans across the globe — all voting, debating, and passionately arguing over the best anime of the year. Now imagine all of that energy collapsing into a single, electric night in Tokyo.
That's exactly what happened at the 10th Annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026 — and it did not disappoint.
Held at the stunning Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa in Tokyo, Japan, this year's ceremony was more than just an awards show. It was a celebration of a decade of anime conquering global pop culture. And with global music megastar The Weeknd presenting the biggest prize of the night, the world was watching.
The results? Historic. Emotional. And completely deserved.
🎌 The Biggest Moment: My Hero Academia Wins Anime of the Year
.jfif)
Let's not bury the lead.
My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON won Anime of the Year — and honestly, it felt like the perfect send-off for one of the most beloved shonen series of this generation.
Think about what this show has meant to millions of fans. A quirkless boy who dreamed of being a hero. Years of training, heartbreak, sacrifice, and triumph. And now, the final season brought it all home — not with a whimper, but with an all-out, earth-shaking conclusion that left fans in tears and in awe.
Winning this award isn't just a prize. It's a generation's thank you to Kohei Horikoshi and every animator who poured their soul into this series.
"Plus Ultra" indeed.
🐍 The Night's Biggest Winner: Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Sweeps
If My Hero Academia had the emotional moment, then Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle had the dominant night.
.jfif)
The film walked away as the most-awarded title of the evening, claiming:
- 🏆 Film of the Year
- 🎵 Best Score
And honestly? If you've seen the Infinity Castle arc, you understand. This film didn't just raise the bar for anime movies — it launched it into orbit. The animation quality alone had people pausing frames just to stare at the craftsmanship. Combined with a score that made your chest feel tight in all the right ways, this was a masterpiece worthy of every trophy it took home.
📋 Complete Winners List — 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards
Here's every major winner from the night:
| 🏆 Category | 🎯 Winner |
|---|---|
| Anime of the Year | My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON |
| Film of the Year | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle |
| Best New Series | Gachiakuta |
| Best Continuing Series | ONE PIECE |
| Best Animation | Solo Leveling Season 2 — Arise from the Shadow |
| Best Character Design | Gachiakuta |
| Best Anime Song | "IRIS OUT" — Kenshi Yonezu (Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc) |
| Global Impact Award | Tatsuya Nagamine |
🌟 The Underdog Story: Gachiakuta's Double Win
Nobody expected Gachiakuta to walk away with TWO awards — but that's exactly what made this night special.
.jfif)
Taking home both Best New Series and Best Character Design, Gachiakuta proved that new blood can absolutely compete with anime giants. If you haven't watched it yet, this double win is your sign to fix that immediately.
The character design win especially makes sense — Gachiakuta's visual identity is raw, gritty, and unlike anything else airing right now. It doesn't look like other anime. And that's precisely the point.
👑 ONE PIECE: The Eternal King Continues
Best Continuing Series going to ONE PIECE is both a surprise and not a surprise at all.
A surprise because — the show is over 1,000 episodes old. Not a surprise because — it's still one of the best anime airing. The Egghead arc delivered consistently, the animation quality from Toei has noticeably jumped, and Luffy remains one of the most compelling protagonists in all of fiction.
In a year packed with incredible competitors, ONE PIECE reminded everyone why it's been sailing for 25+ years: the story never stops being good.
⚔️ Solo Leveling Season 2 Wins Best Animation
Solo Leveling Season 2 — Arise from the Shadow winning Best Animation is a statement.
.jfif)
A-1 Pictures put in work that episode after episode had fans screaming "that animation budget though." When Sung Jinwoo activates Shadow Monarch powers and the screen just explodes with fluid, jaw-dropping movement — that's not just good anime. That's a technical achievement.
This win cements Solo Leveling as not just a great story adaptation, but a visual benchmark for the industry going forward.
🎵 Kenshi Yonezu Wins Best Anime Song
.jfif)
"IRIS OUT" from Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc — performed by the legendary Kenshi Yonezu — wins Best Anime Song.
Is anyone actually shocked? Kenshi Yonezu doesn't make anime songs. He makes events. From "Kick Back" to now "IRIS OUT," every time he touches a Chainsaw Man project, the result is something that lives in your head rent-free for months.
This win was the fans speaking clearly: give us more of this collaboration.
🎭 The Ceremony: A Night Worth Remembering
The awards weren't just about the trophies. The evening itself was a full sensory experience:
- 🎻 Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra performed live — giving anime music the orchestral treatment it deserves
- 🎸 Porno Graffitti performed — legendary J-Rock band with decades of anime credits
- 🎸 Asian Kung-Fu Generation performed — the band behind some of anime's most iconic OPs (yes, Blue Bird, yes, Re:Re:)
Other anime celebrated throughout the night included The Apothecary Diaries Season 2, DAN DA DAN Season 2, and SPY x FAMILY Season 3 — proof of just how stacked 2025–2026 was as an anime year.
🌍 73 Million Votes: Anime Is Now Truly Global
Here's the number that should stop you for a second: 73 million votes cast by fans worldwide.
That's not a niche hobby anymore. That's not "Japan's thing." That is a global cultural force that touches every continent, every language, every generation.
For context — that's more votes than many national elections around the world. Anime fans are organized, passionate, and they show up. The 10th anniversary of these awards proves what many have known for years:
Anime is not a subculture. It's the culture.
🎊 10 Years of Crunchyroll Anime Awards: A Decade in Review
This was the 10th anniversary of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards — and what a decade it's been.
From when anime was still considered niche by Western mainstream media, to today — where The Weeknd is presenting awards, Tokyo Philharmonic is performing live, and 73 million global fans are voting — the growth is staggering.
The show has evolved from a simple online poll to a full red-carpet, live-performance, globally televised cultural institution. And based on 2026's lineup and energy, the next 10 years are going to be even more extraordinary.
💬 Final Take: What 2026 Tells Us About Anime's Future
The 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards told us a few important things:
1. Legacy series still matter. My Hero Academia and ONE PIECE winning proves that long-running, emotionally invested storytelling has an audience that never quits.
2. New voices are breaking through. Gachiakuta's double win shows the community is hungry for fresh styles and stories — not just familiar faces.
3. Films are back in a massive way. Demon Slayer Infinity Castle dominating the film categories signals that theatrical anime is entering a golden era.
4. The global community has arrived. 73 million votes from around the world isn't a trend. It's the new reality.
Anime isn't the future of entertainment anymore.
It's the present.
Which winner surprised you the most? Are you happy with My Hero Academia taking Anime of the Year? Drop your hot take in the comments — we're reading every single one. 👇
Comments
Post a Comment