Joshua Edward Ryan Fox is a freelance writer for Screen Rant with a passion for pop culture. Joshua grew up in Connecticut where he developed an appreciation for writing and entertainment and has earned a Master's degree in professional writing and technical writing. His writing has been quoted by both the anime streaming site Crunchyroll and the anime YouTuber Gigguk.
It’s once again time for the annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards, the biggest award show for anime outside of Asia. To many people, that’s not something to get excited about, as constant controversies surrounding the shows that get nominated, and especially how the actual voting process is carried out, have made it common to view the Crunchyroll Anime Awards as a joke, but with how much attention it brings to old and new anime alike, it’s hard to say that it’s completely without merit.
My Hero Academia (And Others) Win Big At The 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards
The 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards have come and gone, and sure enough, there were plenty of big winners across the night. Right off the bat, My Hero Academia finally won Anime of the Year after failing to win in two previous years, and right along with that, it also won Best Supporting Character with Bakugo and Best Ending Sequence with “I”. With the incredible level of animation and writing that went into the season, My Hero Academia’s win was more than deserved, and with it being My Hero Academia’s eighth and final season, it’s a perfect note for the series to go out on.
My Hero Academia, of course, was hardly the only big winner of the night. While Gachiakuta didn’t win Anime of the Year as many people hoped, it still won Best Character Design, Best Background Art, and, most notably, Best New Series, all of which were well-deserved with the hype surrounding Gachiakuta becoming the next big anime. The Apothecary Diaries season 2 was also a big winner, as following its success, it not only won Best Drama and Best Director, but Maomao even won Best Main Character, as well.
Many of the other winners were fairly unsurprising; One Piece, in the absence of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, reclaimed Best Continuing Series, Spy x Family won Best Slice of Life and “Must Protect at All Costs” Character for Anya, Re:Zero season 3 won Best Isekai Anime, and despite how much the hype died down, Solo Leveling season 2 won both Best Action and Best Animation. All in all, many of the anime people expected to win won their awards, and that’s more than can be said about some previous award shows.
The Biggest Snubs At The 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards
While there were plenty of big winners at the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, there were also plenty of big losers, many of which feel hard to justify. For starters, many critically acclaimed and all-around fantastic anime from 2025, like Yaiba, Umamusume: Cinderella Gray, and New Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt, weren’t even nominated for any awards, and once again, it creates the impression that Crunchyroll is biased against anime that they don’t have streaming rights for.
Discover the top 10 highest-rated anime of 2025, featuring Chainsaw Man, Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia, and more.
As for anime that were nominated, despite City the Animation, The Summer Hikaru Died, and Takopi’s Original Sin all receiving incredible praise, they all took home zero wins, despite many people thinking they were shoe-ins for categories like Best Animation, Best Drama, or Best Comedy. Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc was also arguably snubbed by losing Film of the Year to Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, even if “Iris Out” still won Best Anime Song, and somehow, Lazarus won Best Original Anime, despite it being almost universally disliked, and anime like Apocalypse Hotel and Digimon Beatbreak also being nominated.
The biggest loser of the night, however, was Dandadan season 2. Despite being nominated for 20 categories and easily being just as good as season 1, if not better, Dandadan only won Best Comedy and Best Opening Sequence, a major upset for one of the best new-gen anime around, especially when Solo Leveling won most of its nominations last year and was far less beloved. That doesn’t make Dandadan season 2 any worse of an anime, but seeing it lose so big two years in a row, and even take fewer awards than last year, is nothing short of disappointing.
Are The Crunchyroll Anime Awards Finally Good Again?
With the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards finally over, that begs the question of whether the awards have fixed their major problems. Not only were many fantastic anime not even nominated, but among the ones that were, there are plenty that could be argued didn’t deserve their wins in the slightest, with Lazarus and, arguably, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle being the biggest examples. That sentiment isn’t new for the Anime Awards or award shows, in general, but the fact that it keeps happening is still nothing if not disappointing.
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01
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) became one of the most-watched anime on Crunchyroll. The story takes place in a world where humanity lives behind massive walls to protect themselves from giant humanoid creatures. What are these creatures called?
AKaiju
BTitans
CHollows
DDemons
✓ Correct! The giant humanoid creatures are called Titans. In the original Japanese, they’re referred to as “Kyojin” (giants). Eren Yeager’s quest to destroy all Titans after they breach Wall Maria became one of the most gripping storylines in anime history.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Titans. Kaiju are giant monsters from Japanese cinema like Godzilla, Hollows are the enemy creatures in Bleach, and Demons appear in series like Demon Slayer. In Attack on Titan, these towering humanoid creatures are specifically called Titans.
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02
Studio MAPPA has become one of the most prominent anime studios in recent years, producing several massive hit series. Which of these popular anime was NOT produced by MAPPA?
AJujutsu Kaisen
BAttack on Titan: The Final Season
CChainsaw Man
DDemon Slayer
✓ Correct! Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) is produced by ufotable, not MAPPA. Ufotable’s stunning animation quality — especially the breathtaking fight sequences — became a hallmark of the Demon Slayer franchise. MAPPA produced Jujutsu Kaisen, Attack on Titan: The Final Season, and Chainsaw Man.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Demon Slayer. Demon Slayer is animated by studio ufotable, renowned for its gorgeous visual effects. MAPPA has produced Jujutsu Kaisen, took over Attack on Titan: The Final Season from WIT Studio, and animated Chainsaw Man.
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03
Solo Leveling became a massive hit anime in 2024 after being one of the most popular manhwa (Korean comics) in the world. The story follows a weak hunter who gains the unique ability to level up. What is the protagonist’s name?
✓ Correct! Sung Jin-Woo is the protagonist of Solo Leveling. Originally the weakest E-Rank hunter, he gains the power of the mysterious System, allowing him to level up infinitely. His transformation from the “World’s Weakest Hunter” to the most powerful Shadow Monarch captivated millions of readers and viewers.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Sung Jin-Woo. Jin-Woo Sung reverses the name order (Korean names place the surname first). Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk are protagonists from Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, another popular Korean series. Sung Jin-Woo is the iconic Shadow Monarch of Solo Leveling.
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04
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards celebrate the best in anime each year. Which anime won Anime of the Year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards?
AJujutsu Kaisen Season 2
BFrieren: Beyond Journey’s End
COshi no Ko
DVinland Saga Season 2
✓ Correct! Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End won Anime of the Year at the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. This beautifully contemplative series about an elven mage reflecting on mortality and the passage of time after her hero party’s quest ends charmed audiences and critics alike with its unique, introspective storytelling.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End. While Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, Oshi no Ko, and Vinland Saga Season 2 were all critically acclaimed, it was Frieren’s meditative exploration of time, memory, and connection that captured the top prize at the 2024 ceremony.
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05
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is consistently rated as one of the greatest anime of all time. The story follows two brothers who attempted a forbidden alchemical technique. What taboo did Edward and Alphonse Elric commit?
ACreating gold
BHuman transmutation (trying to revive their dead mother)
CDestroying a Philosopher’s Stone
DKilling a homunculus
✓ Correct! Edward and Alphonse attempted human transmutation to bring their deceased mother back to life. The attempt failed catastrophically — Edward lost his left leg and then sacrificed his right arm to bind Alphonse’s soul to a suit of armor. This event drives the entire series as they search for the Philosopher’s Stone to restore their bodies.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is human transmutation — specifically, attempting to resurrect their dead mother. In the world of FMA, human transmutation is the ultimate taboo in alchemy. The brothers’ failed attempt cost Edward his limbs and Alphonse his entire body, setting the stage for their epic journey.
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06
Spy x Family became a worldwide phenomenon with its wholesome yet action-packed story of a found family. The father, Loid Forger, is secretly a spy. What is his spy codename?
AAgent Dusk
BTwilight
CShadow
DNightfall
✓ Correct! Loid Forger’s spy codename is Twilight, and he’s considered the top agent of Westalis’s intelligence service, WISE. His mission, Operation Strix, requires him to build a fake family — leading him to adopt the telepathic Anya and marry the assassin Yor, creating one of anime’s most beloved found families.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Twilight. Agent Dusk and Shadow are fictional names, while Nightfall is actually the codename of another WISE agent, Fiona Frost, who has a crush on Loid. Twilight is Westalis’s greatest spy and the heart of Spy x Family’s charming story.
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07
Crunchyroll merged with another major anime streaming service to become the dominant platform for anime. Which streaming service was absorbed into Crunchyroll?
ANetflix Anime
BFunimation
CHIDIVE
DAnimeLab
✓ Correct! Funimation was merged into Crunchyroll after Sony’s acquisition of Crunchyroll from AT&T in 2021. The merger consolidated the anime streaming market, bringing Funimation’s massive library of dubbed anime together with Crunchyroll’s simulcast catalog, making Crunchyroll the world’s largest dedicated anime platform.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is Funimation. Netflix Anime is part of Netflix and operates independently, HIDIVE is Sentai Filmworks’ streaming service, and AnimeLab was a smaller Australian service. Funimation — once Crunchyroll’s biggest rival — was fully absorbed into the Crunchyroll platform.
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08
Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are legendary in the anime world. Miyazaki’s final film was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. What is the title of this film?
ASpirited Away 2
BThe Wind Rises
CThe Boy and the Heron
DPonyo Returns
✓ Correct! The Boy and the Heron (Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka) was released in 2023 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2024. The deeply personal, surrealist fantasy film was widely considered Miyazaki’s farewell masterpiece, exploring themes of grief, imagination, and the passage between worlds.
✗ That answer needs more filler training! The answer is The Boy and the Heron. Spirited Away 2 and Ponyo Returns don’t exist. The Wind Rises was Miyazaki’s previous “final” film from 2013. The Boy and the Heron marked his true farewell, winning the Oscar and cementing his legacy as anime’s greatest storyteller.
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At the same time, though, most of the winners like My Hero Academia, Gachiakuta, and The Apothecary Diaries more than deserved their wins with how much praise they received during their runs, and unlike previous years, no anime vastly outperformed everything else, with most anime that won multiple awards capping out at three or four awards as opposed to close to 10 or 11, like last year and years before. With that in mind, the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards felt far more balanced than previous awards, and that added far more legitimacy to how it all played out.
As controversial as the Anime Awards might be, they’re still a great way of acknowledging the great anime that come out every year when there otherwise isn’t a means for it outside of Asia, and with how well things were handled this year, the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards were probably the best ones yet. Even after a decade, there’s still plenty of reason to be excited about the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, and hopefully, with stellar anime in 2026, like Witch Hat Atelier, Ghost in the Shell, and Jujutsu Kaisen season 3, the 11th awards in 2027 will be even better.
Anime Award Category
Winner
Anime Of The Year
My Hero Academia: Final Season
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 (The Apothecary Diaries Season 2)
Best Background Art
Gachiakuta
Best Romance Anime
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity
Best Comedy Anime
Dandadan Season 2
Best Action Anime
Solo Leveling Season 2
Best Isekai Anime
Re:Zero Season 3
Best Drama Anime
The Apothecary Diaries Season 2
Best Slice Of Life Anime
Spy x Family Season 3
Best Anime Main Character
Maomao (The Apothecary Diaries Season 2)
Best Anime Supporting Character
Katsuki Bakugo (My Hero Academia: Final Season)
Best Anime "Must Protect At All Costs" Character
Anya Forger (Spy x Family Season 3)
Best Anime Song
"Iris Out" By Kenshi Yonezu (Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc)
Best Anime Score
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle (Yuki Kajiura And Go Shiina)
Best Anime Opening Sequence
"On The Way" By AiNA THE END (Dandadan Season 2)
Best Anime Ending Sequence
"I" By Bump Of Chicken (My Hero Academia: Final Season)
Best Anime Voice Artist Performance (English)
Lucien Dodge As Akaza (Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle)
Best Anime Voice Artist Performance (Japanese)
Aoi Yuki As Maomao (The Apothecary Diaries Season 2)
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