Dandadan leads Crunchyroll nominations

Crunchyroll’s 10th Anime Awards arrive on May 23 in Tokyo with DAN DA DAN at the front of the field after leading this year’s nominations, according to Crunchyroll’s nominee list and IGN coverage. The company and IGN Latinoamérica said the 2026 edition drew a record 74 million fan votes. The live ceremony will be held at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa, after voting opened in early April and closed later that month. The Weeknd is among the celebrity presenters scheduled to appear, Crunchyroll said. ### Which series is actually leading this year’s field? DAN DA DAN is one of six Anime of the Year nominees and has been positioned by IGN outlets as the nominations leader for the 2026 awards. The Anime of the Year lineup also includes Gachiakuta, My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON, Takopi’s Original Sin, The Apothecary Diaries Season 2 and The Summer Hikaru Died, according to Crunchyroll’s published nominee list. (crunchyroll.com) Crunchyroll published nominee spotlights for each Anime of the Year contender in early April, including a dedicated feature for DAN DA DAN Season 2. That rollout put the series at the center of the awards campaign well before the ceremony. ### Where did the 74 million-vote figure come from? IGN Latinoamérica reported that Crunchyroll executives described this year’s total as a record 74 million votes for the 10th edition of the awards. (crunchyroll.com) The same report said executives framed the number as evidence of anime’s global reach, though the article did not break out voting by country or category. (crunchyroll.com) Crunchyroll’s own awards coverage shows how broadly the company expanded participation this year. Voting for the 2026 awards went live on April 2 through the official Anime Awards website, Crunchyroll and, for the first time, MyAnimeList, according to the company. ### Who else is in the ceremony besides anime creators? (latam.ign.com) The Weeknd will present the Anime of the Year award, Crunchyroll said in an April 9 announcement. In that statement, the singer said anime had inspired him and called it “an honor” to celebrate the artists behind the medium. Crunchyroll said on April 2 that the presenter lineup also included names such as RZA and Winston Duke, and the company added more celebrity presenters in a May 14 update. (crunchyroll.com) The company’s awards hub says the 2026 show is the 10th annual event. ### When does the show start, and where can people watch? (crunchyroll.com) May 23 is the ceremony date, and IGN’s regional coverage said the event will be held in Tokyo after the awards moved there in 2023. IGN’s Southeast Asia guide listed the ceremony start times as 5 p.m. JST, 1 a.m. Pacific and 4 a.m. Eastern. Crunchyroll said viewers can watch the ceremony on its YouTube, Twitch and TikTok channels. (crunchyroll.com) The company’s May 14 announcement repeated that streaming plan as it expanded the presenter list. ### What should viewers watch for once the ceremony begins? Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc leads the Film of the Year category, according to IGN Southeast Asia’s preview of the ceremony. (sea.ign.com) Crunchyroll’s full nominee list also spans categories including Best Director, Best Character Design, Best Original Anime and Best Continuing Series. (crunchyroll.com) Tokyo is the next fixed point on the calendar. The 10th Crunchyroll Anime Awards will stream live on May 23 from the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa, with The Weeknd among the presenters and Anime of the Year set to be announced during the show. (crunchyroll.com) (sea.ign.com)