Crunchyroll Anime Awards set May 23

Crunchyroll is set to hold its 10th annual Anime Awards on Saturday, May 23, from the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo, according to the company’s official 2026 guide. The company said the anniversary edition will feature a global pre-show, an orange-carpet segment and the main awards ceremony as anime fans worldwide tune in online. Crunchyroll has billed the event as a celebration of anime series, films, creators, voice actors and music across 32 categories. ### When does the show start, and what time is that outside Japan? Saturday’s schedule begins with a pre-show at 5 p.m. Japan time and the live ceremony at 6 p.m. JST, Crunchyroll said in its April announcement. IGN’s guide said that translates to 1 a.m. Pacific time and 4 a.m. Eastern time in the United States on May 23. Crunchyroll has also offered calendar links for viewers who want the event converted to local time. (crunchyroll.com) ### Where can people watch the Anime Awards? Crunchyroll said the show will stream globally on its YouTube, Twitch and TikTok channels, with additional distribution through Sony Pictures Core platforms and partners. The company used similar multi-platform distribution for last year’s ceremony, according to Sony’s 2025 recap, and this year’s event is again being positioned as a worldwide livestream rather than a Japan-only broadcast. (crunchyroll.com) ### What is different about this year’s ceremony? The 2026 edition marks the awards’ 10th anniversary and continues the event’s run in Tokyo after the show moved from California in 2023, according to IGN. Crunchyroll said the ceremony will include a Neon Genesis Evangelion 30th anniversary tribute by Yoko Takahashi and symphonic suites performed by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. The company announced those performance elements when it first set the May 23 date in January. (crunchyroll.com) ### Which nominees and presenters are getting the most attention? Crunchyroll’s awards hub and outside previews have pointed to DAN DA DAN as one of the most prominent contenders in this year’s field, including in the Anime of the Year race. Crunchyroll also announced in April that presenters for the live show would include RZA and Winston Duke, while a separate company post said The Weeknd would present the Anime of the Year award. (sea.ign.com) April announcements from Crunchyroll expanded the presenter lineup beyond anime-industry names to musicians and actors, a format the company has used to widen the show’s audience. The official site lists the event as the company’s premiere annual awards program and has continued to update nominee spotlights and presenter announcements through May. (crunchyroll.com) ### How large has the event become? Crunchyroll’s official coverage has described the Anime Awards as a global fan-voted event, and the company’s broader parent group has said the service reaches users in more than 200 countries and regions. Sony’s 2025 recap said last year’s Anime Awards drew a record 51 million votes, while 2026 previews from other outlets have reported that this year’s edition drew an even larger total. (crunchyroll.com) Crunchyroll’s own searchable awards coverage has emphasized the scale of the voting and the breadth of categories rather than a single franchise focus. ### What happens next after the livestream begins? May 23 is the key date: the pre-show starts at 5 p.m. JST, followed by the main ceremony at 6 p.m. JST, with winners to be announced live from Tokyo. Crunchyroll’s Anime Awards page is expected to carry updates tied to the ceremony, and Sony-affiliated platforms are part of the planned distribution for viewers following the results as they are revealed. (crunchyroll.com) (sony.com)