2026 New Creator Awards Winners Announced by Crunchyroll and AnimeJapan

On March 28, 2026, Crunchyroll and AnimeJapan announced the official winners of the New Creator Awards, an initiative designed to celebrate the next generation of creative talent in the anime industry.

The winning films are scheduled to begin streaming on Crunchyroll in more than 200 countries starting on March 28, 2026.

The Grand Prix and AnimeJapan Special Award was presented to the film POLICE MEN, created by Yui Hara with a team including Hinata Udo, Woohee, China Kin, Rakuki Chen, Hiroto Tsujinaka, and Sumihiro Nomura.

This human dramedy is set in Kyoto and follows three police officers with contrasting personalities who must collaborate to catch criminals.

Raiki Murao and a large creative team received the Crunchyroll Award and an AnimeJapan Special Award for the short animation One with the City.

Set in Aichi, One with the City depicts the daily lives of police officers who transform into protectors of their community once they don their uniforms.

The Technical Award was granted to Offbeat, a story created by Leow Yi Jing and Dasul Jeo about a man named Leo who rediscovers the joy of living through a past passion.

Wang Xinyue and several collaborators won the Direction Award for Requiem for the Endless Night, which follows an elderly man on an apocalyptic planet embarking on a final journey home.

The Character Design Award went to Magokoro musubi – Gyutto komeru omoi -, a project by Kakeru Hane and team that features a rice ball character named Shio Musubi discovering his own worth.

Katsuki Yokoyama and their team earned the Art Award and an AnimeJapan Special Award for Traces of Summer, a story about a woman who finds emotional renewal during a trip to her rural hometown.

The AnimeJapan Special Award was also given to Live in Red by Madoka Hadano and colleagues, a sci-fi tale set on a red planet where a giant robot infiltrates a protected city.