Crunchyroll names My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON anime of the year at 2026 awards

By AI, Created 3:20 PM UTC, May 24, 2026, /AGP/ – Crunchyroll handed out the 10th annual Anime Awards in Tokyo on May 23, with a record 73 million fan votes worldwide. My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON won Anime of the Year, while Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle took Film of the Year.

Why it matters: - Crunchyroll’s Anime Awards remain one of the biggest annual fan-driven honors in anime. - The record 73 million votes show the scale of global engagement around Japanese animation. - The results spotlight the series and films that are driving the current anime conversation worldwide.

What happened: - Crunchyroll revealed the winners of the 10th annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards in Tokyo on Saturday, May 23, 2026. - My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON won Anime of the Year. - Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle won Film of the Year. - Sally Amaki and Jon Kabira hosted the ceremony for the fourth year. - The Weeknd presented Anime of the Year on behalf of fans worldwide. - The event honored creators, musicians and performers tied to anime’s global reach.

The details: - The awards were held at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo. - A record 73 million votes were cast by fans around the world. - Brazil, Germany, India, Mexico and the United States were the top five most engaged countries, in alphabetical order. - The pre-show aired live from the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa and was co-hosted by Crunchyroll hosts Lauren Moore and Tim Lyu with YouTube creator Gigguk. - Performers and presenters included Asuka Saito, BamBam, Enako, Kasumi Arimura, Mitorizu, Nanase Nishino, Nyvi Estephan, Rashmika Mandanna, RZA, TEN, Winston Duke and Young Miko. - Additional awards presenters included DANNA, Ethan Bortnick, hannah bahng and Snitchery. - The opening sequence featured the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, with arrangements by Kazunori Miyake and conducting by Hirofumi Kurita. - DEAN FUJIOKA performed “History Maker” from Yuri!!! on ICE during a tribute to past Anime of the Year winners. - Yoko Takahashi performed a 30th anniversary tribute to Neon Genesis Evangelion. - PORNOGRAFFITTI performed for My Hero Academia’s 10th anniversary and the series finale. - ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION performed “Haruka Kanata” in tribute to NARUTO. - Visionary director Tatsuya Nagamine received the Global Impact Award. - Masayuki Sato accepted the award on Nagamine’s behalf. - Crunchyroll said the video-on-demand version with exclusive content will be available soon on Crunchyroll and its YouTube channel, plus Sony Group Corp Global and Japan YouTube channels.

Between the lines: - The winner list shows how fan voting continues to favor long-running franchises alongside breakout newer titles. - My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer remained the night’s biggest draws, while shows like Gachiakuta and Lazarus also broke through in major categories. - The Global Impact Award signals Crunchyroll’s emphasis on anime creators whose work has influenced audiences across generations and markets.

What’s next: - Crunchyroll will release the full video-on-demand version of the ceremony with exclusive content in the coming days. - Fans can follow updates on the Crunchyroll Anime Awards official website and on X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

The bottom line: - The 2026 Anime Awards confirmed anime’s massive global audience, with fan votes, star power and legacy franchises all centered in Tokyo.