All of the global votes are officially tallied, and the prestigious judges and passionate fans from around the world have shared their top picks. The grand orange carpet is currently rolled out in Tokyo, Japan. On May 23, the highly anticipated winners of the 2026 Anime Awards will finally be revealed live to a global audience.
Consider this your ultimate, comprehensive guide to the categories and nominees competing this year. This article will serve as the master list, and it will be updated live with the actual winners the exact moment they are announced on stage. This includes the announcement for the highly coveted Anime of the Year 2026 award.
2026 Anime Awards Categories
You can quickly browse through the specific award categories below to see what your favorite shows are nominated for this year:
Anime of the Year
Film of the Year
Best Continuing Series
Best New Series
Best Original Anime
Best Animation
Best Character Design
Best Director
Best Background Art
Best Romance Anime
Best Comedy Anime
Best Action Anime
Best Isekai Anime
Best Drama Anime
Best Slice of Life Anime
Best Main Character
Best Supporting Character
“Must Protect At All Costs” Character
Best Anime Song
Best Score
Best Opening Sequence
Best Ending Sequence
Best Anime Voice Artist Performance (Divided by language: Japanese, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Castilian Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Latin Spanish, Hindi)
Top Category Nominees
Anime of the Year
The ultimate prize of the night features a mix of massive sequels and breakout hits. The series competing for the top honor are:
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2
DAN DA DAN Season 2
Gachiakuta
My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
The Summer Hikaru Died
Takopi’s Original Sin
Film of the Year
Cinematic releases reached new heights of quality over the past year. The films nominated for this major achievement are:
100 Meters
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle
Mononoke the Movie: Chapter II — The Ashes of Rage
The Rose of Versailles
Scarlet
Best Continuing Series
These beloved long-running stories kept fans coming back week after week. The nominees for consistency and excellence are:
DAN DA DAN Season 2
Kaiju No. 8 Season 2
My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
ONE PIECE
Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
SPY x FAMILY Season 3
Best New Series
These fresh adaptations and new stories completely captured the community’s attention this season. The nominees are:
Clevatess
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity
Gachiakuta
SAKAMOTO DAYS
The Summer Hikaru Died
Takopi’s Original Sin
Best Original Anime
These unique projects were built entirely from scratch without any existing manga or light novel source material. The innovative nominees are:
Apocalypse Hotel
DIGIMON BEATBREAK
Lazarus
Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX
Moonrise
ZENSHU
Technical and Creative Excellence
Best Animation
Visual spectacles defined this year’s television landscape. The studios nominated for pushing visual boundaries are:
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 Character Design
Bringing characters to life requires incredible artistic style. The shows nominated for outstanding character aesthetics are:
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2
DAN DA DAN Season 2
Gachiakuta
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2
ONE PIECE
Takopi’s Original Sin
Best Director
Masterful direction guides a production from a simple script to an animated masterpiece. The visionary directors nominated are:
Akinori Fudesaka and Norihiro Naganuma (The Apothecary Diaries Season 2)
Fuga Yamashiro and Abel Góngora (DAN DA DAN Season 2)
Fumihiko Suganuma (Gachiakuta)
Kenji Nagasaki and Naomi Nakayama (My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON)
Ryohei Takeshita (The Summer Hikaru Died)
Shinya Iino (Takopi’s Original Sin)
Best Background Art
Beautiful environments set the tone and immerse the audience deeply into the world. The nominees for world-class background design are:
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2
CITY THE ANIMATION
DAN DA DAN Season 2
Gachiakuta
Kowloon Generic Romance
The Summer Hikaru Died
Genre-Specific Categories
Best Romance Anime
Heartwarming relationships and emotional drama kept romance fans thoroughly hooked. The nominees are:
Blue Box
DAN DA DAN Season 2
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity
Honey Lemon Soda
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2
Ranma 1/2 Season 2
Best Comedy Anime
These hilarious shows delivered non-stop laughter and brilliant comedic timing. The nominees for top comedy are:
CITY THE ANIMATION
DAN DA DAN Season 2
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2
Ranma 1/2 Season 2
SPY x FAMILY Season 3
WITCH WATCH
Best Action Anime
High-stakes battles and incredible choreography defined these intense series. The adrenaline-pumping nominees are:
DAN DA DAN Season 2
Gachiakuta
Kaiju No. 8 Season 2
My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
ONE PIECE
Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-
Best Isekai Anime
Fascinating journeys into alternate worlds remained immensely popular this year. The standout nominees are:
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 Drama Anime
Deep emotional narratives and complex character arcs moved audiences to tears. The heavy-hitting nominees are:
Anne Shirley
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2
Blue Box
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth
The Summer Hikaru Died
Takopi’s Original Sin
Best Slice of Life Anime
These comforting shows celebrated the beauty of everyday experiences and quiet moments. The comforting nominees are:
Anne Shirley
Blue Box
CITY THE ANIMATION
The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2
SPY x FAMILY Season 3
Character and Performance Awards
Best Anime Main Character
These central protagonists successfully carried the weight of their respective stories. The popular nominees are:
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 Anime Supporting Character
These incredible side characters frequently stole the spotlight from the main heroes. The beloved nominees are:
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)
Best Anime “Must Protect At All Costs” Character
These deeply endearing individuals completely melted the hearts of the global audience. The adorable nominees are:
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)
Musical Achievements
Best Anime Song
The catchy themes that defined the musical landscape of the year include:
“In Bloom” by Lilas Ikuta (The Apothecary Diaries Season 2)
“IRIS OUT” by Kenshi Yonezu (Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc)
“JANE DOE” by Kenshi Yonezu and Hikaru Utada (Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc)
“On The Way” by AiNA THE END (DAN DA DAN Season 2)
“ReawakeR (feat. Felix of Stray Kids)” by LiSA (Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-)
“Watch Me!” by YOASOBI (WITCH WATCH)
Best Anime Score
The background tracks that added immense emotional depth to every scene are:
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 (Satoru Kosaki, Kevin Penkin, Alisa Okehazama)
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)
Best Anime Opening Sequence
These spectacular opening animations perfectly paired with incredible theme music. The nominees are:
“HUGs” by Paledusk (Gachiakuta)
“Mirage” by Creepy Nuts (Call of the Night Season 2)
“On The Way” by AiNA THE END (DAN DA DAN Season 2)
“ReawakeR (feat. Felix of Stray Kids)” by LiSA (Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-)
“THE REVO” by PORNOGRAFFITTI (My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON)
“Watch Me!” by YOASOBI (WITCH WATCH)
Best Anime Ending Sequence
The creative closing credits that eased fans out of each intense episode include:
“Actor” by Lilas Ikuta (SPY x FAMILY Season 3)
“Beautiful Colors” by OneRepublic (Kaiju No. 8 Season 2)
“Doukashiteru” by WurtS (DAN DA DAN Season 2)
“I” by BUMP OF CHICKEN (My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON)
“Kawaii Kaiwai” by PiKi (My Dress-Up Darling Season 2)
“UN-APEX” by TK from Ling Tosite Sigure (Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-)
Voice Artist Performance Nominees by Language
Japanese Voice Performance
Aoi Yuki as Maomao (The Apothecary Diaries Season 2)
Chiaki Kobayashi as Yoshiki Tsujinaka (The Summer Hikaru Died)
Daiki Yamashita as Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON)
Kikunosuke Toya as Denji (Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc)
Mayumi Tanaka as Monkey D. Luffy (ONE PIECE)
Reina Ueda as Reze (Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc)
Arabic Voice Performance
Hamoud Abu Hassoun as Loid Forger (Childhood) (SPY x FAMILY Season 3)
Tariq Obaid as Taro Sakamoto (SAKAMOTO DAYS)
Moataz El—Shazly as Heisuke Mashimo (SAKAMOTO DAYS)
Raafat Bazo as Yuri Briar (SPY x FAMILY Season 3)
Fatima Zakaria as Osaragi (SAKAMOTO DAYS)
Ghada Omar as Yor Forger (SPY x FAMILY Season 3)
Brazilian Portuguese Voice Performance
Bruno Sangregório as Levi Ackerman (Attack on Titan: THE LAST ATTACK)
Charles Emmanuel as Akaza (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle)
Erick Bougleux as Zanka Nijiku (Gachiakuta)
Fabio Lucindo as Katsuki Bakugo (My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON)
Gigi Patta as Maomao (The Apothecary Diaries Season 2)
Ursula Bezerra as Son Goku (Dragon Ball DAIMA)
Castilian Spanish Voice Performance
Adrián Pineda as Rudo (Gachiakuta)
Carles Teruel as Akaza (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle)
Cristina Peña as Reze (Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc)
Joel Gómez Jiménez as Okarun (DAN DA DAN Season 2)
Marisa Marciel as Nami (ONE PIECE)
Marta Barbará as Kaoruko Waguri (The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity)
English Voice Performance
Alexis Tipton as Reze (Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc)
Emi Lo as Maomao (The Apothecary Diaries Season 2)
Justin Briner as Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON)
Lucien Dodge as Akaza (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle)
Morgan Berry as Shiori Fuyumura (SANDA)
Paul Castro Jr. as Hikaru Indou (The Summer Hikaru Died)
French Voice Performance
Bastien Bourlé as Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON)
Bruno Mullenaerts as Enjin (Gachiakuta)
Catherine Hanotiau as Nico Wakatsuki (WITCH WATCH)
Clara Soares as Reze (Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc)
Jonathan Gimbord as Hikaru (The Summer Hikaru Died)
Véronique Augereau as Seiko (DAN DA DAN Season 2)
German Voice Performance
Dirk Bublies as Kogoro Mori (Detective Conan: One—eyed Flashback)
Gerrit Schmidt—Foß as Akaza (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle)
Laurine Betz as Reze (Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc)
Magdalena Höfner as Kiui Watase (Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night)
Markus Feustel as Rudo (Gachiakuta)
Patricia Strasburger as Nico Wakatsuki (WITCH WATCH)
Hindi Voice Performance
Abhishek Sharma as Jinshi (The Apothecary Diaries Season 2)
Akshita Mishra as Koyuki (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle)
Heena Malik as Reze (Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc)
Merlyn James as Anya Forger (SPY x FAMILY Season 3)
Rajesh Shukla as Sung Jinwoo (Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-)
Shilpie Pandey as Lufas Maphaahl (A Wild Last Boss Appeared!)
Italian Voice Performance
Katia Sorrentino as Momo (DAN DA DAN Season 2)
Leonardo Graziano as Naruto Uzumaki (BORUTO: NARUTO THE MOVIE)
Luna Fogu as Maomao (The Apothecary Diaries Season 2)
Martina Tamburello as Kikoru Shinomiya (Kaiju No. 8 Season 2)
Mosè Singh as Denji (Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc)
Simone Lupinacci as Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON)
Latin Spanish Voice Performance
Desireé González as Maomao (The Apothecary Diaries Season 2)
Dion González as Rudo (Gachiakuta)
Erika Langarica as Marin Kitagawa (My Dress-Up Darling Season 2)
Fernando Moctezuma as Sung Jinwoo (Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow-)
Jessica Ángeles as Reze (Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc)
Jose Antonio Toledano as Akaza (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle)