Crunchyroll has revealed the categories for the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. The eighth annual event is heading back to Tokyo on Saturday, March 2, 2024. Global voting will be driven by anime fans worldwide once the nominees have been announced.

Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2024 Categories

This year, the Crunchyroll Anime Awards have added three categories. These new categories reflect both the artistic excellence and variety of genres within anime as a whole. The new categories are Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Slice of Life.

The full list of Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2024 categories include:

• Anime of the Year – This is the show that sets the standard for anime over the last year. Its compelling story, beautiful artistic execution, and unforgettable characters all combine in a unique way to create a masterpiece that deserves singular recognition. Whether the show was an unexpected hit, or delivered on fans’ high expectations, Anime of the Year embodies excellence.
• Best Action – This category rewards a show with action at its core. Featuring awe-inspiring scenes of heroes battling villains, life-threatening situations, or overcoming incredible odds, these anime get the pulse of its viewers racing.
• Best Animation – Here, we recognize anime that are visually stunning in the ways they bring their stories to life. No matter the style of animation, these shows put on a visual spectacle for viewers to enjoy. This is the anime that does an excellent job at immersing audiences into previously unimaginable worlds.
• Best Anime Song – This category celebrates a song played during any part of an anime series. This includes the opening and ending sequences. Whether they make you move or move you, these are the songs that stay with you.
• Best Art Direction (New) – Art direction involves all things visual to create the look and feel of an anime. Color, design, and animation style are only some of the considerations. The tiniest of details must be kept in mind so that a show feels like a cohesive and distinct work of art.
• Best Character Design – This category celebrates artists who have either created iconic anime characters or breathed life into one from other sources. A designer who comprehends the essence of character design weaves narratives through the strokes of their drawings.
• Best Cinematography (New) – Cinematography focuses on the composition of individual scenes, paying particular attention to the use of light and shadow, camera angles, depth of field, and scene transitions. When combined together, these elements convey an anime’s narrative without saying a word.
• Best Comedy – Whether it’s a surprisingly fresh perspective, or the witty exchanges coming from a comedy mastermind, the humor in these shows make you laugh out loud and have your side hurting by the end.
• Best Continuing Series – Sustaining excellence is no small feat, particularly when it comes to anime. This category celebrates the shows that hook audiences with their absorbing storylines, compelling characters, and attention-grabbing artwork.
• Best Director – Here we celebrate how a great anime and a great director are inseparable. Of central importance, directors work behind the scenes. They spend time conveying their vision to animators, making critical decisions, and managing the creative aspects of production. The result is an approach that is uniquely theirs.
• Best Drama – These anime convey something essential about the human experience. Their mastery of building and relieving tension sets fans on the edge of their seats, feeling all of their feelings, and compelling them to invest deeply in the characters and their stories.
• Best Ending Sequence – Similar to the opening, an unforgettable ending sequence pairs design and music to delight and surprise. Often a place where the art style can be taken in entirely new directions, a great ending sequence lets viewers catch their breath and enjoy small moments with a character.
• Best Fantasy – Best Fantasy is all about imagination, creativity, and a bit of magic. These shows don’t just take us to other worlds. They also craft deep, original universes full of mythical creatures where even the smallest detail is fueled by ideas that previously were unthought of.
• Best Film – A great film effortlessly captivates spectators from beginning to end. Here, we celebrate non-episodic anime with runtimes longer than a standard episode, whether they were released in theaters, on DVD, or online.
• Best Main Character – Whether hero, anti-hero, or villain, a main character is the face of their series. It’s not just their personalities or characteristics that make them beloved, but it’s also their well-developed stories and the journeys they take us on that make them worthy.
• Best New Series – While countless new anime are created each year, this category honors the series and spin-offs that stand out. These instant classics possess something unique that keeps viewers transfixed and passionately awaiting season two.
• Best Opening Sequence – Through striking visuals and irresistible music, a great opening sequence sets the tone for what is to come. Whether it’s creating a quirky mood for an offbeat rom-com, or striking a dark and serious tone for suspense, a memorable opening has as much creativity and passion as the show it introduces.
• Best Original Anime – An original anime is not adapted from source material like manga or light novels; it is a whole new creation. These original works of art mesmerize audiences with the quality of their stories.
• Best Romance – A great romance can thaw the heart of the coldest cynic. These captivating stories draw us in and remind us of the best part of being alive. With their hopeful messages, these shows find a way to make you believe in the power of love.
• Best Score – A vital part of an unforgettable anime is the original music composed for it. A well-crafted score adds another dimension of depth and emotion to any scene. The compositions are not only tightly associated with the anime, but can also stand alone as masterpieces of music.
• Best Slice of Life (New) – While these anime focus on everyday events, the best are anything but ordinary. Capturing quiet moments in breathtaking ways, these nominees provide relief from the frantic pace of the world, placing relationships—with all their emotion, humor, and heartbreak—front and center.
• Best Supporting Character – This category celebrates a supporting character as if they were number one. They come in all shapes and sizes, but the best among them can shine as brightly as their main character counterparts.
• Best Voice Actor Performance – Renowned voice artists breathe additional life into a character, adding depth and realism or re-envisioning what they sound like in a different language. Through their command of tone and the emotions their voices elicit, these talented artists help transform anime characters into anime icons. This award will be honored to voice actors across Arabic, Castilian, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, and Latin Spanish.
• “Must Protect At All Cost” Character – These are the characters that make the world feel like a kinder, more special place. Whether they’re an earnest protagonist who always gets back up or a pure-hearted cinnamon roll who holds a group together, these characters remind us that there are some things in life worth protecting.

The nominees for each category will be revealed on January 17, 2024. Each nominee will be chosen by the passionate and independent 2024 Anime Awards judges. These judges represent more than 100 global creatives, tastemakers, experts, and influencers.

Rahul Purini, President of Crunchyroll, said:

“Anime is a dynamic art form, offering an adventure for every kind of fan, and we are honored to celebrate the creative talent behind the medium that is captivating viewers around the world. From the depth of artistry, nuanced storytelling, and pure joy that anime brings to so many, we look forward to gathering again in Japan to honor the best of anime this year.”

The Crunchyroll Anime Awards is the leading yearly awards program honoring the creators, musicians, and performances that power the global love of anime. The eighth annual Anime Awards will take place at the Grand Prince Hotel ShinTakanawa in Tokyo on Saturday, March 2, 2024. There will be a live ceremony hosted by renowned voice actress Sally Amaki and popular entertainer Jon Kabira. Sony Music Solutions, part of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., will support Crunchyroll in the execution of the event. The event will be streamed for global audiences.