"My Hero Academia Final Season" Shines as Anime of the Year... Kasumi Arimura, Asuka Saito, and More Take the Stage [Event Report]

The award ceremony for the "Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026," which honors the achievements of anime works and creators selected by votes from anime fans worldwide, was held on Saturday, May 23rd, at the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa, Hiten. Marking its 10th anniversary this year, the awards gathered a record-breaking total of over 73 million votes from around the globe.

At the "Orange Carpet" reception held before the ceremony, Kasumi Arimura, Asuka Saito, Nanase Nishino, DEAN FUJIOKA, the comedy duo Mitorizu, Yoko Takahashi, and Enako took the stage. Furthermore, from overseas, a star-studded lineup of various international celebrities made a glamorous appearance, including global musician The Weeknd, Winston Duke, Danna, BamBam, Ethan Bortnick, TEN, and Young Miko.

In the opening, DEAN FUJIOKA performed "History Maker," the opening theme song of "Yuri!!! on ICE," backed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Following that, the award ceremony commenced, hosted by MCs Jon Kabira and Sally Amaki. In between the announcements of each award, historical anime song artists delivered passionate live performances, including a "My Hero Academia" medley by Porno Graffitti, "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" by Yoko Takahashi, and "Haruka Kanata" by ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION.

"My Hero Academia Final Season" was selected for the prestigious "Anime of the Year." Director Kenji Nagasaki, who accepted the award from presenter The Weeknd, looked back and said, "During the recording of the first episode, I was talking with the cast members about wanting to make this a work that lasts for 10 years." He then shared his deep emotions, stating, "This is a project blessed with incredible people, including the staff, cast, and all the fans. I am extremely proud to have been involved in this work."

Additionally, "Film of the Year" was awarded to "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Trilogy Movie: Infinity Castle - Chapter 1." Among others, the "Global Impact Award," presented to creators who have left groundbreaking achievements in culture and history, was awarded to the late director Tatsuya Nagamine (known for the "One Piece," "Dragon Ball Super," and "Precure" series, etc.), honoring the immense legacy he left across borders and generations through the medium of anime.

Furthermore, alongside speeches filled with love and respect by the presenters, the winning works for all 32 categories were announced.