The orange carpet rolled out in Tokyo once again as the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards transformed into a full-scale celebration of modern anime culture. Hosted during Crunchyroll’s milestone tenth anniversary ceremony, the event gathered creators, voice actors, musicians, and global celebrities including The Weeknd, who presented the biggest honor of the night. After more than 73 million fan votes worldwide, the winners finally emerged from one of the most competitive anime years in recent memory. 

From the early days when Yuri on Ice shocked the internet by winning Anime of the Year to the modern dominance of battle-heavy giants like Jujutsu Kaisen and Solo Leveling, the awards now reflect where anime culture itself is heading. And now, the final winners have officially been announced.

After years of carrying the weight of being modern shonen anime’s emotional workhorse, My Hero Academia finally reached its defining awards moment. My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON won Anime of the Year at the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, beating heavy contenders like DAN DA DAN Season 2, The Apothecary Diaries Season 2, Takopi's Original Sin, and The Summer Hikaru Died. 

Full Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026 Winners

Film of the Year: Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle

Best Continuing Series: ONE PIECE

Best New Series: Gachiakuta

Best Original Anime: Lazarus

Best Animation: Solo Leveling Season 2

Best Character Design: Gachiakuta

Best Director: Akinori Fudesaka and Norihiro Naganuma for The Apothecary Diaries Season 2

Best Background Art: Gachiakuta

Best Romance Anime: The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity

Best Comedy Anime: DAN DA DAN Season 2

Best Action Anime: Solo Leveling Season 2

Best Isekai Anime: Re: ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3

Best Drama Anime: The Apothecary Diaries Season 2

Best Slice of Life Anime: SPY x FAMILY Season 3

Best Main Character: Maomao from The Apothecary Diaries Season 2

Best Supporting Character: Katsuki Bakugo from My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON

“Must Protect At All Costs” Character Award: Anya Forger from SPY x FAMILY Season 3

Best Anime Song: 'IRIS OUT' by Kenshi Yonezu from Chainsaw Man the Movie: Reze Arc

Best Anime Score: Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle

Best Opening Sequence: “On The Way” by AiNA THE END

Best Ending Sequence: “I” by BUMP OF CHICKEN

Best Japanese Voice Artist Performance: Aoi Yuki as Maomao 

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What made the win particularly fascinating was how My Hero Academia survived years of shifting audience tastes. Dark fantasy stories became dominant, psychological thrillers exploded globally, and experimental animation styles took over social media clips.

The final season focused heavily on the collapse of hero society during the Final War arc, adapting some of Kohei Horikoshi’s most emotionally devastating material. Rather than treating the conflict as a simple heroes-versus-villains spectacle, the story explored the emotional scars carried by both sides. Tomura Shigaraki evolved into one of modern anime’s most tragic antagonists, while Deku’s desperate attempts to save him became the emotional backbone of the season.

Studio Bones elevated those themes with cinematic animation and brutal battle choreography that constantly balanced destruction with vulnerability. Bakugo’s character arc especially became one of the season’s biggest talking points. Combined with All Might’s final symbolic presence and the sense that an entire generation of heroes was reaching its endpoint, the season carried the same emotional finality that once surrounded legendary anime conclusions like Code Geass and Attack on Titan. 

The 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards ultimately showcased just how massive anime has become globally. Between blockbuster franchises like ONE PIECE, emotionally devastating dramas like The Apothecary Diaries, and visually explosive newcomers like Gachiakuta, this year’s winners reflected an industry that now dominates mainstream entertainment conversations far beyond Japan.

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What are your thoughts on the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026 winners? Share your take in the comments.