It has been a busy year for anime fans, with popular titles like “Apothecary Diaries,” “ONE PIECE,” “Demon Slayer,” and so many more competing for attention. Despite the wide selection of options to watch, the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards have been announced, naming one title as the Anime of the Year for 2026.
The 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Award show aired on May 23. The broadcast, which went live on the official Crunchyroll YouTube channel, was held in Tokyo and lasted over three hours.
The award show covered 23 categories, from the best of specific genres to the best background art and opening sequence. Each category had multiple nominees, including specific seasons for the same series. The results were revealed live during the broadcast.
‘My Hero Academia’ Wins Crunchyroll Anime of the Year for 2026
As announced on the Crunchyroll news feed, “My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON” was awarded the Anime of the Year for 2026.
The final season of the popular series was up against “The Apothecary Diaries” Season 2, “DAN DA DAN” Season 2, “Gachiakuta,” “The Summer Hikaru Died,” and “Takopi’s Original Sin.” Each of the nominated options can be streamed on Crunchyroll with a subscription.
Of all the nominees, “The Apothecary Diaries” was the fiercest competitor. However, “My Hero Academia’s” win stemmed from a long airtime and the hype for the show’s conclusion. “Apothecary Diaries” didn’t walk away empty-handed, winning Best Drama Anime. Series protagonist Maomao’s Japanese Voice Actor, Aoi Yuki, took home Best Anime Artist Performance (Japanese) while Jinshi’s Hindi Voice Actor, Abhishek Sharma, won Best Anime Voice Artist Performance (Hindi.)
ONE PIECE Continues to Captivate Fans With Best Continuing Series Award
While “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle” won Film of the Year and “Solo Leveling” Season 2 took Best Animation during the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, beloved series “ONE PIECE” didn’t go home without a trophy.
The long-standing series, which began as a Manga serialization in 1997, earned Best Continuing Series. “ONE PIECE” has seen a surge in popularity in recent years. It now has a live-action series on Netflix, and continues to add new seasons of the anime alongside continued publication of the Manga.
While the 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards have wrapped, that doesn’t mean the release season for the subscription service will be slowing down. “Witch Hat Atelier,” which has rapidly gained popularity for its quirky cast of characters and dark storyline, is actively adding episodes on Monday at 7 AM PT.
ONE PIECE continues to get new subbed episodes on Sunday at 9 AM PT, and dozens of series are also seeing live updates, as reported on the Crunchroll Season Lineup.
The 2026 Anime Awards were particularly bittersweet due to the feature of “My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON.” The anime, which originally released in 2016, has had the same impact on anime fans as “Naruto” or “BLEACH.”
While the final season is a nostalgic ending to the main story, it is likely the series will appear in other formats in the future. Until then, fans will want to check out some of the other new titles that are rapidly gaining attention on Crunchyroll’s platform.
