Crunchyroll and AnimeJapan Launch New Awards for Young Anime Creators

Crunchyroll and the AnimeJapan event are teaming up to launch the New Creator Awards in Japan, a competition built to discover and nurture the next generation of animation talent.

The contest is open to students studying animation, with short films of roughly 15 minutes or less eligible to enter. Winning works will stream domestically in Japan and worldwide through Crunchyroll across more than 200 countries and territories.

There are seven awards in all. The Grand Prix carries a prize of one million yen, the Crunchyroll Award offers a scholarship of the same amount, and four category prizes recognize technical skill, direction, character design, and art. A special award gives one creator the chance to show their film at conventions at home and abroad.

Entries are open until January 31, 2026, with winners announced on March 28, 2026, during next year’s AnimeJapan, which runs March 28 to 31 at Tokyo Big Sight.

My take: I love seeing real money and a real platform put behind student creators. So many beloved directors started with a single short film, and giving newcomers a worldwide stage is exactly how the medium stays fresh.