Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026 Full Winners: MHA Takes Anime of the Year, Gachiakuta Sweeps Three

My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON claimed Anime of the Year at the 10th annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards, held on May 24 in Tokyo. Gachiakuta swept three technical prizes, and a record 73 million fan votes were cast globally before polls closed on April 15.

MHA's Final Bow Earns the Top Prize

The farewell season of My Hero Academia dominated the ceremony, taking home Anime of the Year along with Best Ending Sequence for BUMP OF CHICKEN's "I." Katsuki Bakugo earned Best Supporting Character, giving the franchise three wins on the night. The results cap a storied run for Kohei Horikoshi's superhero saga, which first premiered in anime form in 2016.

Gachiakuta Leads the Technical Sweep

Gachiakuta, the trash-punk action series that debuted to strong reception in 2025, took Best New Series, Best Character Design, and Best Background Art. The triple win underlines the show's distinctive visual identity, which transplants detailed junkyard landscapes and inventive silhouettes onto a shonen action framework. No other title matched its haul across the technical categories.

Genre and Performance Highlights

The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 was the night's other multi-winner. Director duo Akinori Fudesaka and Norihiro Naganuma won Best Director, Aoi Yuki took Best Japanese Voice Artist for her portrayal of Maomao, and Maomao herself was named Best Main Character. The series also claimed Best Drama Anime.

Solo Leveling Season 2 -Arise from the Shadow- picked up Best Animation and Best Action Anime. DAN DA DAN Season 2 earned Best Comedy Anime and Best Opening Sequence for AiNA THE END's "On The Way." Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3 won Best Isekai Anime, while SPY x FAMILY Season 3 took Best Slice of Life and saw Anya Forger retain the fan-favorite "Must Protect At All Costs" title.

In the romance category, The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity took Best Romance Anime. ONE PIECE continued its long reign with a Best Continuing Series win. Lazarus, Shinichiro Watanabe's original sci-fi thriller, claimed Best Original Anime.

Film and Music Awards

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle was named Film of the Year and also won Best Anime Score. On the English voice acting side, Lucien Dodge earned recognition for his performance as Akaza in the film. Best Anime Song went to Kenshi Yonezu's "IRIS OUT" from Chainsaw Man's Reze Arc.

Global Impact and Ceremony Details

The ceremony was hosted by Sally Amaki and Jon Kabira, streaming live on YouTube and Twitch at 6:00 p.m. JST. Director Tatsuya Nagamine received the Global Impact Award, honoring visionary creators who have left a lasting mark on anime culture. Nagamine's body of work spans landmark shonen productions, making him a fitting recipient for the ceremony's highest individual honor.

With 73 million votes shattering previous records, the 2026 awards underscored anime's expanding global footprint heading into the medium's next decade of mainstream growth.