The 3rd American Manga Awards has announced 35 nominees across seven categories, with the ceremony set for August 20 at Japan Society in New York City.
Japan Society and Anime NYC have unveiled the full slate of 35 nominees for the 3rd Annual American Manga Awards. The ceremony will take place on August 20, 2026, at Japan Society in New York City, coinciding with the opening of Anime NYC.
The nominations cover seven categories that recognize both creative and production achievements in North American manga publishing. The Best New Manga category features Naoki Urasawa's Billy Bat, ONE and Kyoto Shitara's Bug Ego, John Taranchine's The Credits Roll into the Sea, The Horrors of Noroi Michiru by Noroi Michiru, and LOVE-BULLET by inee.
Best Continuing Manga Series highlights several acclaimed ongoing titles: The Climber (volumes 3–6) by Shin'ichi Sakamoto, March comes in like a lion (volume 4) by Chica Umino, Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide (volume 7) by Mone Sorai, Search and Destroy (volume 3) by Atsushi Kaneko, and The Summer Hikaru Died (volume 6) by mokumokuren.
The Best One-Shot Manga nominees include "Akari" by Marco Kohinata, "Box Garden Beetle" by Akino Kondoh, "Cocoon" by Machiko Kyō, "My Life in 24 Frames per Second" by Rintarō, and "The Strange Tale of Panorama Island" by Suehiro Maruo.
Best New Edition of Classic Manga recognizes fresh presentations of beloved works, with nominees including Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow (volumes 3–5), The Legend of Kamui (volumes 2–3), Mushishi Collector's Edition (volumes 1–2), Stop!! Hibari-kun! (volume 1), and Ultra Heaven (volume 2).
Three craft-focused categories round out the slate. Best Lettering nominees are Brendon Hull for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Madness, Madeleine Jose for Maid to Skate, Vadim K for Don't Feed the Trolls, Vladyslav L for Sweet and Spicy, and Vanessa Satone for One Piece (volume 112). Best Translation features Jan Mitsuko Cash for Magica, Alexa Frank for Miss Ruki, Andres Oliver for Mushishi Collector's Edition, Kiki Piatkowska for A Starlit Darkness, and Asa Yoneda for Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow. Best Publication Design nominees include Wendy Chan for Fruits Basket: The Complete Box Set, chichols for Magica, Ti Collier for A Cat Is a Cat in Any Life, Patrick Crotty for Stop!! Hibari-kun!, and Emuh Ruh for Baku Chan.
Winners will be determined by professionals working in an editorial capacity with North American manga publishers, maintaining the awards' industry-driven approach. The planning committee is chaired by Deb Aoki, known for her manga journalism and the Mangasplaining podcast.
Alongside the competitive categories, Chigusa Ogino will receive the Manga Publishing Hall of Fame honor. Previous Hall of Fame recipients have included translators, founding editors, and publishing innovators who helped shape manga's presence in North America.
Now in its third year, the American Manga Awards have established themselves as a dedicated platform for recognizing excellence in manga localization and publishing. The August 20 ceremony at Japan Society will kick off alongside the broader Anime NYC festivities, giving the event a high-profile stage within one of the largest anime conventions on the East Coast.
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