Tokyo turned into anime’s biggest global stage on Saturday night as the 10th annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards celebrated a decade of the medium’s explosive international growth, with My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON taking home the coveted Anime of the Year prize.Held at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo, the anniversary ceremony featured a veritable melange of otaku celebrity appearances from around the world and heaps of fond nostalgia for anime’s modern streaming-era boom. The event was hosted once again by voice actress Sally Amaki and veteran presenter Jon Kabira, marking their fourth consecutive year leading the ceremony.The night’s biggest award was presented by global pop icon The Weeknd, who handed Anime of the Year to the concluding season of Kohei Horikoshi’s long-running superhero saga. The win caps off nearly a decade of dominance for the franchise, which has remained one of anime’s defining crossover hits since its 2016 debut.
The Weeknd hands out the top prize of the night, Anime of the Year, to ‘My Hero Academia’ director Kenji Nagasaki at the 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026, held at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo
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Crunchyroll
Other major winners included Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, which secured Film of the Year and Best Score, while Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- won Best Action and Best Animation. Studio Bones’ Gachiakuta emerged as one of the evening’s breakout successes, winning Best New Series alongside awards for character design and background art.MAPPA’s Lazarus claimed Best Original Anime, ONE PIECE continued its dominance in the Best Continuing Series category, and The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 won Best Drama. Its protagonist Maomao also picked up Best Main Character.Crunchyroll said this year’s ceremony recorded a new high of 73 million fan votes worldwide. According to the company, the most engaged voting regions included Brazil, Germany, India, Mexico and the United States.The 10th anniversary celebration leaned heavily into anime history and legacy. The ceremony opened with a Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra medley honouring previous Anime of the Year winners before singer Dean Fujioka performed “History Maker” from Yuri!!! on ICE, the very first series to win Anime of the Year when the awards launched in 2017.Several musical tributes highlighted landmark anniversaries across anime culture. The legendary Yoko Takahashi performed “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” in celebration of Neon Genesis Evangelion’s 30th anniversary, while ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION delivered “Haruka Kanata,” the iconic second opening theme from Naruto.The ceremony also honoured director Tatsuya Nagamine with the Global Impact Award for his contributions to franchises including Dragon Ball Super, ONE PIECE, Pretty Cure and Ojamajo Doremi. Crunchyroll described the recognition as a tribute to creators whose work shaped anime’s worldwide cultural footprint.The ceremony’s presenter lineup reflected just how aggressively anime has expanded beyond its once niche reputation into a genuinely global entertainment ecosystem. Japanese actor and former Nogizaka46 member Asuka Saito joined the festivities alongside Thai K-pop star BamBam and internationally renowned cosplayer Enako. Indian actor Rashmika Mandanna, Wu-Tang Clan, Hollywood actor Winston Duke, Japanese stars Kasumi Arimura and Nanase Nishino, Brazilian esports host Nyvi Estephan, K-pop performer TEN, and Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko rounded out the lineup.
