Earlier today, Crunchyroll announced that they will host their second annual “Crunchyroll Anime Awards” event in February. The show will be held on the evening of February 24, at Hollywood’s Montalban Theater. The show will also be streamed, for those who are unable to attend in-person.
Much like last year’s event, the 2018 Anime Awards will highlight anime that are available on Crunchyroll, as well as other platforms. Featured nominees include My Hero Academia Season 2 (Crunchyroll & Funimation), Made in Abyss (Amazon), and Little Witch Academia (Netflix).
Confirmed categories include:
- Anime of the Year
- Best Action
- Best Animation
- Best CGI
- Best Comedy
- Best Continuing Series
- Best Drama
- Best Boy
- Best Girl
- Best Film
- Best Manga
- Best Opening
- Best Ending
- Best Score
- Best Slice-of-Life
- Best Hero
- Best Villain
Much like last year’s awards, honors will be given for fan votes, as well as titles selected by a panel of judges. Fan voting will kick off on January 22.
This year’s anime judge lineup includes:
- Andrew McDanell
- Jacob Boniface
- José Álamo
- Kallie PLAGGE
- Łukasz Kaczmarek
- Michael Ziegler
- Miranda Sanchez
- Robin Hirsch
- Yssa BADIOLA
- Zac Bertschy
The panel of manga judges includes:
- Brigid Alverson
- Deb Aoki
- Jason Thompson
- Johanna Draper Carlson
- Katherine Dacey
- Megan DeYarman
- Valerie Complex
- Zack Davisson
Several of the judges offered comment on their participation.
Yssa Badiola, Lead 2D Animator at Rooster Teeth Animation, stated:
At least 200 series have been produced in 2017, and it’s high time we acknowledge the hard work, passion, and dedication that goes into each project. As a professional animator and an anime fan, it’s great to know that the Anime Awards are here to highlight the series you should take risks on.
Otakuspirit.com founder Andrew McDanell noted:
Never in my many years of anime viewing would I imagine taking part in such an exciting event as the Anime Awards. Any chance to give credit to the anime we know and love is something special. For me, I don’t see it so much as a competition, but rather a celebration. A celebration that has no losers. While not every title can make it to the top, there really isn’t a title that doesn’t bring joy or connect with someone personally.
Anime as a medium has come a long way for the western audience. Availability is great, the volume of releases is overwhelming, and there’s nearly something for everyone to enjoy. As such, the necessity for an Anime Awards has never been truer. It’s important to not only highlight fantastic titles, but give credit to the creators who pour their efforts into such a unique medium of entertainment.
Anime News Network Executive Editor Zac Bertschy also offered comment, stating:
I think it’s fair, at this point, to attribute a pretty sizable chunk of anime’s current cultural ubiquity to the relentless effort of Crunchyroll. It makes perfect sense to me that they’d be the ones (at long last, in my opinion) to give this vibrant, challenging, constantly-evolving artform a proper celebration. It’s something I’m proud to participate in.
IGN Editor Miranda Sanchez offered her thoughts in a trio of statements:
The Anime Awards’ Value
Of all the media I’ve covered, I rarely see the same level of camaraderie as I do with the anime community. Events like The Anime Awards are a wonderful way to bring the community together. Being able to talk about some of the best anime of the year with other fans that are just as passionate is exciting! Regardless of the results, events like this are also a great opportunity to learn about anime that you may not have considered watching before.
Differences Between This Year and Last Year
The process for choosing nominees and winners this year is much more rigorous. I’ve felt a lot more involved in helping curate a great selection of nominees with the other judges. Unlike other awards, The Anime Awards is unique in that it favors fan opinion over a panel of judges or separate awards between a panel and fans. I like that it brings both groups together so that the community as a whole has a chance to choose the best anime of 2017.
On Being a Judge
I enjoyed contributing to The Anime Awards last year, and I think this year will be even more fun! I’m honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with other great people working in the anime industry to determine this year’s best anime.
Source: Crunchyroll (Email Communication)
Update 1/17/2018: Removed a line about ticket sales, as they have not gone on sale yet.
