The competition for the top prize at the 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards is extremely close this year. Organizers announced the complete list of nominees on April 1, 2026, setting the stage for a ceremony in Tokyo on May 23, 2026. Fans can vote every day until April 15, 2026 to decide which show takes home the trophy for Anime of the Year.
This year’s list of nominees for the biggest award includes six different shows. DAN DA DAN Season 2, Gachiakuta, My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON, Takopi’s Original Sin, The Apothecary Diaries Season 2, and The Summer Hikaru Died are all fighting for the title. Each show brings something completely different, from wild action and romance to deep psychological drama.
DAN DA DAN Season 2 Dominates the Nomination Count
DAN DA DAN Season 2 is the one to beat this year. The show leads all nominees with a total of 20 nominations across various categories, the highest number for any series at this year’s awards. This season continued the story of Momo and Okarun as they traveled to Byakuja Village and faced the evil Kito family and the powerful Evil Eye entity.
The season aired from July 4 to September 19, 2025, on MBS/TBS, running for 12 episodes. Science SARU returned as the animation studio, with Fuga Yamashiro and Abel Gongora co-directing the new episodes. The show’s opening theme, “On The Way” by AiNA THE END, also received a nomination for Best Anime Song, competing against tracks from Chainsaw Man and Solo Leveling.
Fans have praised the second season for keeping the same wild energy as the first while adding deeper emotional moments. The nominations include Best Animation, Best Action, Best Comedy, and Best Romance, showing how the show works across many different genres.
My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON Brings a Decade of Storytelling to a Close
My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON marks the end of a journey that began more than ten years ago. Studio Bones produced the final season, which aired from October 4 to December 13, 2025, on MBS/TBS. The season had 11 episodes that adapted the Final War Arc and Epilogue Arc from the original manga by Kohei Horikoshi.
The creator worked closely with the animation team, creating original scenes for the show and approving every script personally. The finale included two major battles that fans had waited years to see: All Might vs. All For One and Deku vs. Shigaraki. The season received 15 nominations in total, including nods for Best Animation, Best Action, and Best Director for Kenji Nagasaki and Naomi Nakayama.
“This season is everything I waited a decade for. The final fight between Deku and Shigaraki was worth every single episode,” one fan wrote on social media following the finale.
The show is not completely finished yet. A bonus episode adapting Chapter 431 from the manga will release on May 2, 2026, giving fans one last piece of content before the franchise officially ends. Pornograffitti will perform a special tribute to the series during the awards ceremony, marking the 10th anniversary of the anime.
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 Brings Mystery and Politics
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 earned 17 nominations, making it the second-most nominated series in the television category this year. Toho Animation Studio and OLM produced 24 episodes that aired on Nippon TV from January 10 to July 4, 2025. The story continues following Maomao, a young woman obsessed with poisons and medicine, as she works in the imperial court.
This season placed Maomao in the middle of more dangerous political conspiracies. A new villain emerged, forcing the apothecary to use her intelligence and skills to protect those she cares about. The show ranks as the most popular anime on MyAnimeList with a score of 8.91 out of 10 as of the end of 2025. It also held the number one spot on U-Next’s streaming service for an entire year.
The series picked up nominations for Best Drama, Best Background Art, and Best Character Design. Aoi Yuki also received a nomination for Best Voice Artist Performance (Japanese) for her work as Maomao.
Gachiakuta Brings Graffiti Style and Class Struggles
Gachiakuta stands out among the nominees for its unique visual style. Studio Bones produced 24 consecutive episodes that ran from July 6 to December 22, 2025. Fumihiko Suganuma directed the series, with Hiroshi Seko handling the script.
The story takes place in a world split into two parts. The Sphere is a rich city floating above, while The Pit is a wasteland filled with trash below. The main character Rudo gets thrown down to The Pit and must survive using a special power that turns garbage into weapons. The show received 16 nominations, including Best New Series, Best Animation, and Best Action.
The graffiti-inspired art style and raw themes of class struggle connected with many viewers. A second season was announced immediately after the first season ended, showing the studio’s confidence in the property.
The Summer Hikaru Died Blends Horror and Friendship
The Summer Hikaru Died takes a very different path from the other nominees. CygamesPictures produced 12 episodes that aired on Nippon TV from July 6 to September 28, 2025. Ryohei Takeshita directed and wrote the series.
The story follows two childhood friends, Yoshiki and Hikaru, living in a faraway village in Japan. After Hikaru dies in a mountain accident, something else takes over his body. This creature uses Hikaru’s memories and face, but Yoshiki slowly realizes that the thing beside him is not his friend. The show received 8 nominations, including Best New Series and Best Drama.
The manga that inspired the anime had sold 4.5 million copies worldwide by December 2025. A second season was announced shortly after the first season ended. The show stands out for mixing rural folklore horror with quiet grief, creating a tone rarely seen in mainstream anime.
Takopi’s Original Sin Takes on Dark Themes
Takopi’s Original Sin is the shortest nominee, with only six episodes that aired online from June 28 to August 2, 2025. Studio Enishya produced the series, with Shinya Iino directing and writing. Iino is best known for directing Dr. Stone, while character designer Keita Nagahara previously worked on Violet Evergarden.
The show took the number one spot on weekly rankings for three weeks during the summer of 2025. The story deals with heavy topics including bullying and childhood trauma, earning it a nomination in the Best Drama category alongside more traditional dramatic series. Takopi’s Original Sin also received nominations for Best Animation and Best Character Design.
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Ceremony Details and Voting Information
The 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards will take place in Tokyo on May 23, 2026. Sally Amaki and Jon Kabira will return as hosts for the fourth straight year. The ceremony will stream live globally for fans to watch.
The list of presenters includes RZA from Wu-Tang Clan, actor Winston Duke, and Indian star Rashmika Mandanna. Musical performances will come from Dean Fujioka, who will sing “History Maker” from Yuri!!! on Ice, the first show to ever win Anime of the Year. Asian Kung-Fu Generation will perform “Haruka Kanata” from Naruto, and Yoko Takahashi will sing “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” from Neon Genesis Evangelion for its 30th anniversary.
Fans can vote every day until April 15, 2026, at 11:59 PM PT through the official Anime Awards website, Crunchyroll, and for the first time, MyAnimeList.
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