First-Ever AMI Awards to Celebrate Best of Anime and Manga — Coming in 2026

First-Ever AMI Awards to Celebrate the Best of Anime and Manga — Coming in 2026

Countdown to New Award Show Begins at Anime NYC on Saturday, August 23, with a Special Fan-Voted Award Presented in Partnership with Anime Streamer RetroCrush

Los Angeles, CA – August 20, 2025 – An Emmy-winning team with credits including the Super Bowl Halftime Show, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Film, the GRAMMY Premiere, Amazon Music Live, and more, has today announced plans for the inaugural The Anime & Manga International Awards. The AMI Awards is a new award show being held in Los Angeles and bringing a unique experience for fans to celebrate the biggest names in the popular, fast-growing anime and manga space.

With the support of Japan Society and MyAnimeList, and led by the team who for years produced the Crunchyroll Anime Awards in Japan, The AMI Awards are poised to be the ultimate global fan celebration of creativity and excellence in the space. The show will take place the same week as Anime Expo, which will run from July 2-5, 2026 in Los Angeles.

The countdown to the first The AMI Awards officially begins at Anime NYC, the East Coast's largest anime convention, taking place at the Javits Center in New York City (August 21-24). There, The AMI Awards, in partnership with leading classic anime streamer RetroCrush will field votes for the first ever fan-voted AMI Award — “Most IcoNYC Anime of All Time .”

• Throughout Thursday and Friday at Anime NYC, attendees can vote onsite for the special fan-chosen award via AMI ambassadors stationed around the convention hall.
  
• The winner of the award will be revealed during the convention's popular Cosplay Masquerade event on Saturday (8/23) evening at the Main Stage (presented by Ito En).
  
• The award will be designed by renowned origami artist and designer Coco Sato.

The AMI Awards will be the only fan-driven awards show honoring the best in anime and manga, recognizing creators, talent, and studios that have captivated fans around the world. Set to feature the biggest names from anime and beyond, the AMIs will feature an exciting mix of celebrity and industry presenters, influencers, fans and musical performances. More details will be revealed leading into the event.

“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,” said Stephanie Heaston, AMI executive producer.

Added Behnam Karbassi, AMI executive producer, “Anime NYC is such a great place for us to kick off this celebration and let the world know what is coming. With partners like them, RetroCrush and all of the fan communities that share our love of anime and manga, we're excited to recognize the creators and fans of this unique artform.”

The AMI Awards producers bring years of world-class production and entertainment to the new event, with Digital Cinema Collective founders Aaron Cooke and Morgan Kellum also executive producers. This event will serve the appetite for anime and manga in the U.S. that is greater than ever. It is predicted that the fandom will grow 9.8% annually between now and 2032. The expected global anime market size by 2032 is $73 billion dollars. The AMI Awards aims to celebrate this growth and bring this rapidly expanding fandom an experience they deserve.

About The AMI Awards
The AMI Awards (theamiawards.com), short for The Anime & Manga International Awards, is the ultimate fan-driven show honoring the best in anime and manga.The show was created by Emmy-winning producers and creators with experience that includes the Super Bowl Halftime Show, Taylor Swift Eras Tour Film, Grammy Premiere, Anime Awards, Amazon Music Live, and more. The AMI Awards will feature celebrity and industry presenters, influencers, music performances, and awards that celebrate the creators, talent, and fans that make up these popular worldwide industries. The inaugural show will take place in Los Angeles in 2026 in association with Anime Expo. The AMI Awards is the ultimate global fan celebration of creativity, awarding visionaries in anime and manga.

About RetroCrush
RetroCrush is a streaming brand owned and operated by Cineverse (Nasdaq: CNVS), that is dedicated to the Golden Age of anime, highlighting classic anime movies and series for old and new fans alike. The RetroCrush line-up includes more than 200 series and features. It is available at www.RetroCrush.tv and as a standalone app; as a SVOD option on Prime Video Channels, Comcast and The Roku Channel; and as a linear FAST channel on Fubo, Philo, Plex, Pluto TV Canada, Samsung TV Plus, Sling Freestream, TCL+, The Roku Channel, Vizio WatchFree+, and Zone TV. Follow RetroCrush on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X and on Discord.

About Anime NYC:
Anime NYC is the East Coast's largest anime convention. The event has received the award of Consul General from the Japanese Ambassador for providing a gateway to Japanese culture. Anime NYC brings fans and publishers together for four days of unique exhibits, exclusive screenings, extensive panels, and appearances by some of the biggest creators in Japan. The 2025 event takes place August 21-24, 2025 in New York's Javits Center, and we invite you to join thousands of fans for a celebration of Japanese animation, manga, pop culture, cosplay, fashion, food, games, toys, and more in the heart of NYC. For more, visit www.AnimeNYC.com.