Damiano David, Rina Sawayama & More to Present at 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards: Full Nominations List

Italian pop star Damiano David, musician-actor Rina Sawayama and Stranger Things stars Finn Wolfhard and Gaten Matarazzo will be among the presenters at the ninth annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards, which will be held Sunday, May 25, at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo. Voice actress Sally Amaki and entertainer Jon Kabira are set to host the show, which will be livestreamed for global audiences.

Other presenters booked for the event include Brazilian pop star Pabllo Vittar, American recording artist D4VD, American snowboarder Chloe Kim, drag star Plastique Tiara, Japanese actor-musician Dean Fujioka and American-Chilean singer Paloma Mami.

The Crunchyroll Anime Awards is billed as the leading yearly awards program powering the global rise of anime, the art of Japanese animation. Fans around the world can visit the Crunchyroll Anime Awards website to vote each day through April 14 for their favorite series, creators and performances. Global fan voting helps to determine the winners.

Hiroki Totoki, president and CEO of Sony Group Corporation, will deliver opening remarks at the Anime Awards ceremony.

The nominees for anime of the year are DAN DA DAN, Delicious in Dungeon, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Kaiju No. 8, Solo Leveling and The Apothecary Diaries. 

“The Crunchyroll Anime Awards are one of the most important times of year for fans because we hear directly from them on what anime they love and get to honor the creative community behind that love,” Rahul Purini, president of Crunchyroll, said in a statement. “Anime continues to deeply resonate emotionally with fans, and anime’s biggest night of the year is sure to invoke a lot of joy and pride amongst the anime community—fans and creators alike. This year’s nominees represent more than 50 series and films developed by more than 35 talented studios.”

In celebration of the 2025 Anime Awards, Crunchyroll is helping anime fans catch up with the nominees. A selection of nominated titles streaming on Crunchyroll are now available to watch for free. Additionally, the Crunchyroll Store has discounts on manga, collectibles, and more tied to the honorees.

Fans are encouraged to vote each day with a 1-click resubmit feature through April 14 at 11:59 p.m. PT on the Anime Awards website and launch their favorite anime into the spot. Additionally, for the first time, voting is accessible within the Crunchyroll mobile app. The results will be announced at the awards ceremony and through a global fan livestream.

Crunchyroll, LLC is an independently operated joint venture between U.S.-based Sony Pictures Entertainment and Japan’s Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., both subsidiaries of Tokyo-based Sony Group.

Sony Music Solutions Inc., part of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Dempsey Productions will support Crunchyroll in the execution of the event.

Here are 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards nominees in key categories:

Anime of the Year

        DAN DA DAN

        Delicious in Dungeon

        Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Kaiju No. 8

        Solo Leveling

        The Apothecary Diaries 

Best Anime Song

        Abyss – Yungblud – Kaiju No. 8

        Bling-Bang-Bang-Born – Creepy Nuts – MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc

        Fatal – GEMN -【OSHI NO KO】Season 2

        LEveL – SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]: TOMORROW X TOGETHER – Solo Leveling

        Otonoke – Creepy Nuts – DAN DA DAN

        The Brave – YOASOBI – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Best Score

        BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict- Shiro Sagisu

        DAN DA DAN – kensuke ushio

        Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc – Yuki Kajiura, Go Shiina

        Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – Evan Call

        Look Back – Haruka Nakamura

        Solo Leveling – Hiroyuki Sawano

Film of the Year

        HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle

        Look Back

        Mononoke The Movie: The Phantom in the Rain

        My Hero Academia: You’re Next

        SPY x FAMILY CODE: White

        The Colors Within

Best Original Anime

        BUCCHIGIRI?!

        GIRLS BAND CRY

        Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night 

        Metallic Rouge

        Ninja Kamui

        Train to the End of the World

Best Continuing Series

        BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict

        Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc

        My Hero Academia, My Hero Academia Season 7

        ONE PIECE

        【OSHI NO KO】【OSHI NO KO】Season 2

        SPY × FAMILY, SPY × FAMILY Season 2

Best New Series

        DAN DA DAN

        Delicious in Dungeon

        Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Kaiju No. 8

        Solo Leveling

        The Apothecary Diaries

Best Opening Sequence

        Abyss – Yungblud – Kaiju No. 8

        Bling-Bang-Bang-Born – Creepy Nuts – MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc

        Fatal – GEMN – 【OSHI NO KO】Season 2

        LEveL – SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]: TOMORROW X TOGETHER – Solo Leveling

        Otonoke – Creepy Nuts – DAN DA DAN

        UUUUUS! – Hiroshi Kitadani – ONE PIECE

Best Ending Sequence

        Antanante – riria. – Ranma1/2

        Burning – Hitsujibungaku – 【OSHI NO KO】Season 2

        KAMAKURA STYLE – BotchiBoromaru – The Elusive Samurai

        Nobody – OneRepublic – Kaiju No. 8

        request – krage – Solo Leveling

        TAIDADA – ZUTOMAYO – DAN DA DAN

Best Action

        BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict

        DAN DA DAN

        Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc

        Kaiju No. 8

        Solo Leveling

        WIND BREAKER

Best Comedy

        Delicious in Dungeon

        KONOSUBA -God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! 3

        MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc

        My Deer Friend Nokotan

        Ranma1/2

        SPY × FAMILY Season 2

Best Drama

        A Sign of Affection

        DEAD DEAD DEMONS DEDEDEDE DESTRUCTION

        Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        【OSHI NO KO】Season 2

        Pluto

        The Apothecary Diaries

Best Isekai Anime

        KONOSUBA -God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! 3

        Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation (season 2, Cour 2)

        Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3

        Shangri-La Frontier Season 2

        Suicide Squad ISEKAI

        That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3

Best Romance

        A Sign of Affection

        Blue Box

        Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!

        Ranma1/2

        Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

        The Dangers in My Heart Season 2

Best Slice of Life

        Laid-Back Camp Season 3

        Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!

        Mr. Villain’s Day Off

        My Deer Friend Nokotan

        Sound! Euphonium 3

        The Dangers in My Heart Season 2

Best Animation

        DAN DA DAN

        Delicious in Dungeon

        Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc

        Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Kaiju No. 8

        Solo Leveling

Best Background Art

        DAN DA DAN

        Delicious in Dungeon

        Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc

        Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Pluto

        The Apothecary Diaries

Best Character Design

        DAN DA DAN

        Delicious in Dungeon

        Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc

        Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Kaiju No. 8

        The Apothecary Diaries

Best Director

        Fuga Yamashiro – DAN DA DAN

        Haruo Sotozaki – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc

        Keiichiro Saito – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Megumi Ishitani – ONE PIECE FAN LETTER

        Norihiro Naganuma – The Apothecary Diaries

        Yoshihiro Miyajima – Delicious in Dungeon

Best Main Character

        Frieren – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Kafka Hibino – Kaiju No. 8

        Okarun – DAN DA DAN

        Maomao – The Apothecary Diaries

        Momo – DAN DA DAN

        Sung Jinwoo – Solo Leveling

Best Supporting Character

        Fern – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Himmel – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Jinshi – The Apothecary Diaries

        Seiko – DAN DA DAN

        Senshi – Delicious in Dungeon

        Turbo Granny – DAN DA DAN

“Must Protect at All Cost” Character

        Anya Forger – SPY × FAMILY Season 2

        Frieren – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

        Okarun- DAN DA DAN

        Senshi – Delicious in Dungeon

        Tokiyuki Hojo – The Elusive Samurai

        Yuki Itose – A Sign of Affection