The Crunchyroll Anime Awards are one of the anime industry’s biggest awards ceremonies – but according to several industry insiders, the event’s importance in Japan appears to be significantly less than in the rest of the world.
Hardly relevant in Japan
Speaking to Anime News Network, former Manga Entertainment editor-in-chief Jerome Mazandarani was critical of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, stating that the event was barely noticed in Japan.
No wonder, after all, due to strict regional licensing and copyright agreements, Crunchyroll in most cases only receives its streaming rights for markets outside of Japan – often even excluding China or other Asian countries.
Due to so-called geoblocking, the streaming platform in the anime’s home country is virtually non-existent and therefore not known to fans.
Criticism of the concept and orientation
Other industry representatives also questioned the relevance of the awards in the ANN report and described the event as more of a marketing tool with which Crunchyroll wanted to strengthen its own brand.
There are also criticisms that a neutral awards ceremony is difficult if it is only organized and marketed by a single streaming service.
Regardless, the awards continue to enjoy great popularity internationally and reach millions of viewers every year. This year’s award ceremony marks the tenth anniversary and will take place on May 23, 2026 in Tokyo and as a free live stream. We will inform you as soon as the winners have been determined.
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Via ANN
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