Crunchyroll & AnimeJapan Introduce New Awards to Develop Young Creators

Winning Films Will Stream on Crunchyroll
For the Enjoyment of Millions of Global Anime Fans

Los Angeles, California and Tokyo, Japan (October 1, 2025) - AnimeJapan, the world's largest anime event held annually in Tokyo, and Crunchyroll, the global brand fueling the love of anime, are announcing today the New Creator Awards to support the next generation of anime creative talent. The awards, created by AnimeJapan and sponsored by Crunchyroll, are accepting applications from Japanese students starting today.

To nurture and support the discovery of new talent, the winning works, short films of about 15 minutes or less, will be streamed domestically in Japan and worldwide through Crunchyroll in more than 200 countries and territories. Students will be eligible to win one of seven different awards. In addition to global distribution, the Grand Prix winner will be awarded 1 million yen, the Crunchyroll Award winner will receive a scholarship of 1 million yen and four category awards will be given, with a prize of 300,000 yen each in the areas of technical application, direction, character design, and art. Finally, the AnimeJapan Special Award will give the winning creator the chance to participate in domestic and international anime conventions to showcase their short film.

“Many incredible stories can be told through anime and we're honored and excited to celebrate up and coming anime talent by streaming their winning films on Crunchyroll,” said Asa Suehira, Chief Content Officer, Crunchyroll. “The winners of the New Creator Awards will delight fans worldwide with their fresh, new perspectives and we know this is just the beginning for these bright new creatives.”

The AnimeJapan Executive Committee, which represents 22 anime companies and one organization, will act as the judging panel, with winners announced on Saturday, March 28, 2026 during an awards ceremony at AnimeJapan. Entries are now open through Saturday, January 31, 2026. More information on eligibility and the submission process can be found here.

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