The 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards, a significant event celebrating excellence in anime, was held on Saturday, May 23, in Tokyo. The ceremony was co-hosted for the fourth consecutive year by voice actress Sally Amaki and entertainer Jon Kabira, bringing a familiar presence to the stage. A diverse array of guest presenters graced the event, including notable figures such as The Weeknd, who had the honor of announcing the highly anticipated Anime of the Year category. Other distinguished presenters included actor Asuka Saito, K-pop artist BamBam, cosplayer Enako, actor Kasumi Arimura, comedic duo Mitorizu, actor Nanase Nishino, Brazilian esports and gaming host Nyvi Estephan, pan-India star Rashmika Mandanna, the Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA, K-pop singer and dancer TEN, actor Winston Duke, and recording artist Young Miko.

The evening commenced with a captivating performance by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, expertly arranged by Kazunori Miyake and conducted by Hirofumi Kurita, setting a grand tone for the awards. The celebrations also featured musical acts from Dean Fujioka, Yoko Takahashi, Pornograffitti, and Asian Kung-Fu Generation, adding to the festive atmosphere. A special moment during the event was the presentation of the Global Impact Award to director Tatsuya Nagamine, recognized for his extensive contributions to the anime industry through projects like “Ojamajo Doremi,” “PreCure,” “Dragon Ball Super,” and “One Piece.” Animator Masayuki Sato, known for his work on “Happiness Charge PreCure!” and “One Piece,” accepted the award on Nagamine-san’s behalf.

The highlight of the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards was the announcement of the winners across numerous categories, reflecting the global reach and diverse appeal of anime. "My Hero Academia Final Season" emerged as the top honoree, securing the coveted Anime of the Year award. "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle" was recognized as Film of the Year, while "Lazarus" won Best Original Anime. "One Piece" continued its legacy by winning Best Continuing Series, and "Gachiakuta" was celebrated as Best New Series. The Best Opening Sequence award went to "On The Way – AiNA THE END – “Dan Da Dan Season 2”", with "I — BUMP OF CHICKEN — “My Hero Academia Final Season”" taking Best Ending Sequence.

In genre-specific categories, "Solo Leveling Season 2 – Arise from the Shadow" earned Best Action and Best Animation. "Dan Da Dan Season 2" was awarded Best Comedy, "The Apothecary Diaries (Season 2)" secured Best Drama, and "Re:ZERO – Starting Life in Another World- Season 3" won Best Isekai Anime. "The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity" received Best Romance, and "Spy x Family Season 3" was honored with Best Slice of Life. "Gachiakuta" also garnered awards for Best Background Art and Best Character Design. Akinori Fudesaka and Norihiro Naganuma were recognized as Best Directors for "The Apothecary Diaries (Season 2)", which also saw Maomao win Best Main Character. Katsuki Bakugo from "My Hero Academia Final Season" was named Best Supporting Character, and Anya Forger from "Spy x Family Season 3" was celebrated as the “Must Protect At All Cost” Character.

Musical achievements were also celebrated, with "IRIS OUT — Kenshi Yonezu — “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc”" winning Best Anime Song, and "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle" with Yuki Kajiura and Go Shiina receiving Best Score. The awards also honored voice artist performances across various languages: Aoi Yuki (Maomao from "The Apothecary Diaries (Season 2)") for Japanese, Lucien Dodge (Akaza from "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle") for English, Tariq Obaid (Taro Sakamoto from "Sakamoto Days") for Arabic, Charles Emmanuel (Akaza from "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle") for Brazilian Portuguese, Carles Teruel (Akaza from "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle") for Castilian Spanish, Bastien Bourlé (Izuku Midoriya from “My Hero Academia Final Season”) for French, Gerrit Schmidt—Foß (Akaza from “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle”) for German, Abhishek Sharma (Jinshi from “The Apothecary Diaries (Season 2)”) for Hindi, Mosè Singh (Denji from “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc”) for Italian, and Jose Antonio Toledano (Akaza from “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle”) for Latin Spanish.

Crunchyroll reported a record-breaking engagement for the 10th annual awards, with an unprecedented 73 million votes cast by fans worldwide. The most engaged countries this year, reflecting the global enthusiasm for anime, included Brazil, Germany, India, Mexico, and the United States. Fans eager to relive the ceremony or catch up on the highlights will be able to stream the 10th annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards shortly on Crunchyroll’s platform and its YouTube Channel, as well as on Sony Group Corp Global and Japan YouTube channels.