Interest

Anime & Manga International Awards Launch Next July With Countdown Event at Anime NYC on Saturday

Digital Cinema Collective announced on Wednesday The Anime & Manga International Awards (The AMI Awards), a new ceremony coming to Los Angeles during the same week as Anime Expo from July 2-6. While that may seem like a long time from now, The AMI Awards will actually officially kick off with a countdown event at this year's Anime NYC convention on Saturday.

During Anime NYC, streaming service RetroCrush is collaborating with The AMI Awards for a special fan-voted award: "Most IcoNYC Anime of All Time." From Thursday-Friday, Anime NYC attendees can vote for which anime they think is "Most IcoNYC" at stations with AMI ambassadors. RetroCrush will present the award, designed by origami artist and designer Coco Sato, at the convention's Cosplay Masquerade on Saturday.

AMI Executive Producer Stephanie Heaston said:

"The AMI Awards is the first U.S.-based, fully fan-voted celebration created for the fans and by the fans—honoring the visionary creators, artists, cosplayers, and dreamers who bring anime and manga to life. We believe these talents should be recognized just as the great artists of film, theater, music, and television are. Driven by the passion of this incredible community, the AMIs will unite industry icons and devoted fans in a shared celebration of artistry, imagination, and the stories that connect us all."

Digital Cinema Collective founders Aaron Cooke and Morgan Kellum are also executive producers. The team producing the show includes members who have worked on the Crunchyroll Anime Awards in Japan, the Super Bowl Halftime Show, and Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.

More details regarding The AMI Awards and its inagurual show next July will be revealed in the future.

This year's Anime NYC has expanded to a four-day event (Thursday to Sunday) for the first time at the Javits Center.

Source: Press release