The 10th annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards wrapped May 23, 2026, and the headline result was the one the room was expecting: My Hero Academia's final season took Anime of the Year, capping off the franchise's run with a ceremony-level acknowledgement to match the on-air closer.
Quick answer
Per the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026 ceremony held May 23, the major winners are: My Hero Academia (Anime of the Year), Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle (Film of the Year), Gachiakuta (Best New Series), One Piece (Best Continuing Series), Lazarus (Best Original Anime), with The Apothecary Diaries sweeping directing and drama categories. Late director Tatsuya Nagamine received the Global Impact Award.
The major wins
- Anime of the Year: My Hero Academia (final season)
- Film of the Year: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle
- Best New Series: Gachiakuta
- Best Continuing Series: One Piece
- Best Original Anime: Lazarus
- Best Animation: Solo Leveling Season 2
- Best Character Design: Gachiakuta
- Best Direction + Best Drama: The Apothecary Diaries
Performance recognition
Aoi Yūki picked up Best Voice Actor Performance (Japanese) for her work on The Apothecary Diaries Season 2. Dub awards spanned several languages — Crunchyroll's localisation push has expanded that category beyond just Japanese vs English over the past three ceremonies, and 2026 continued that trend.
The Tatsuya Nagamine tribute
The night's most weighted moment was the Global Impact Award for the late Tatsuya Nagamine — the Dragon Ball Super: Broly and One Piece Film: Z director who passed in 2025. The award is the ceremony's most senior honour, given to creators whose work has shaped how audiences engage with anime as a medium. The tribute reel pulled from his Toei work and his later film output.
See the full Best Summer 2026 anime ranking and the what to watch this Summer 2026 primer for what's next on the calendar.
Why it matters
Three quick reads on the night:
- MHA's victory lap was earned. The final season delivered on the closing arc the manga set up, and Anime of the Year is the right cap on a decade-long run that re-anchored shōnen on streaming.
- Gachiakuta's Best New win is the night's signal. Bones did the impossible — making a Kei Urana adaptation that pulled both source readers and newcomers in week one. The award is a real future-tense bet on the franchise.
- The Apothecary Diaries double (Direction + Drama) confirms what the discourse already knew — it's the most quietly important ongoing series in the medium right now, and the ceremony recognising both axes is the formal endorsement.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Who won Anime of the Year at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026?
A: My Hero Academia's final season took Anime of the Year at the 2026 ceremony held May 23.
Q: What won Best Film at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026?
A: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle won Film of the Year.
Q: Who took Best New Series?
A: Gachiakuta won Best New Series, with Bones' adaptation of Kei Urana's manga earning the headline new-IP honour.
Q: What about Best Continuing Series?
A: One Piece took Best Continuing Series — Toei's ongoing adaptation continues to land critical recognition alongside its commercial run.
Q: Who received the Global Impact Award?
A: The late director Tatsuya Nagamine received the Global Impact Award posthumously, recognising his work on Dragon Ball Super: Broly, One Piece films, and his broader contribution to Toei animation.
Q: When were the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026 held?
A: The 10th annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards ceremony took place on May 23, 2026.