On March 2, fans and members of the anime industry gathered together to celebrate the eighth annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Hosted in Tokyo, it is, according to Crunchyroll, a global event that “recognizes the anime shows, characters and artists that fans around the world love most.”
A Record Number of Anime Fans
Globally, anime has never been more popular and this was reflected in the voting. A record-breaking 34 million votes were cast for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2024, which includes votes from Japan and abroad. This year’s awards also saw a star-studded list of guests and presenters grace the stage, including Japan-centric celebrities and those more recognized at a global level. Among them were voice acting idol group member Sally Amaki, rapper Megan Thee Stallion, Japanese singer and songwriter LiSA, Parasite director Bong Joon Ho, the directors of the films in the Spider-Verse series and many more.
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards Show Performances
Several musical acts also performed at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards such as composers Hiroyuki Sawano (Attack on Titan, Solo Leveling) and Kohta Yamamoto (Attack on Titan, The Seven Deadly Sins), who shared a brand-new piece written specifically for the award ceremony. Shing02, Oma and DJ Spin Master A-1 performed “Battlecry” to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the cult hit anime, Samurai Champloo.
When it came to the awards, Jujutsu Kaisen picked up the coveted Anime of the Year prize as well as 10 other awards, such as Best Action, Best Character Design and Best Cinematography. Surprising no one, Yoasobi went away with Best Anime Song for last year’s super hit, “Idol,” while the beloved titles Spy x Family and One Piece won Best Comedy and Best Continuing Series, respectively.
Full List of the Award Winners
Anime of the Year – Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death
Best Action – Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death
Best Animation – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith’s Village
Best Anime Song – “Idol” by Yoasobi for Oshi no Ko
Best Art Direction – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith’s Village
Best Character Design – Sayaka Koiso and Tadashi Hiramatsu for Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death
Best Cinematography – Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death
Best Comedy – Spy x Family Season 1 Part 2
Best Continuing Series – One Piece
Best Director – Shota Goshozono for Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death
Best Drama – Attack on Titan The Final Chapters (Part 1)
Best Ending Sequence – “Akari” by Soshi Sakiyama from Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death
Best Fantasy – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith’s Village
Best Film – Suzume
Best Main Character – Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece
Best New Series – Chainsaw Man
Best Opening Sequence – “Where Our Blue Is” by Tatsuya Kitani for Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death
Best Original Anime – Buddy Daddies
Best Romance – Horimiya: The Missing Pieces
Best Score – Attack on Titan The Final Chapters (Part 1)
Best Slice of Life – Bocchi the Rock
Best Supporting Character – Satoru Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen: Hidden Inventory/Premature Death
“Must Protect At All Costs” Character – Anya Forger from Spy x Family Season 1 Part 2
