Anime Trend Awards 2026: ABEMA announces date and hosts

ABEMA has announced the Japan Anime Trend Awards 2026 for December 26. The fourth edition of the Japanese anime awards ceremony begins at 7 p.m. Japan time and will be broadcast free of charge on the Anime SPECIAL channel. Host Yuki Iwai returns; voice actresses Sumire Uesaka and Sora Tokui join the hosting team for the first time.

How the winners are determined

The organizer evaluates anime that were released in 2026 on television or via streaming. According to ABEMA, the awards draw on discussions on X, data from the Japanese news portal Anime!Anime!, usage of the streaming service and votes from the audience. The various categories are meant to reflect both public response and viewing behavior.

Voting for this year's main prize runs through the official ABEMA anime account on X until November 18, 2026 at 11 p.m. Japan time. A list of this year's winners is not yet available; the awards will only be presented at the event.

Last year, Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX won the main prize. In 2024, the award went to Dandadan. At aninew.de there are further reports on Studio Khara and Gundam GQuuuuuuX as well as on the stage adaptation of Dandadan.

Live program with anime music

Alongside the awards ceremony, ABEMA announces performances by artists who gained attention in the anime music scene in 2026. Another program item is dedicated to songs from anime productions that are celebrating an anniversary. Specific guest names and further program details are to follow later.

Yuki Iwai hosts for the fourth time in a row. Uesaka and Tokui join this year. The broadcast is planned both on ABEMA and via an accompanying stream on X. Availability of the ABEMA stream for viewers in Germany is not guaranteed in the announcement.

Unlike the Nippon Anime Awards announced for 2027, the Anime Trend Awards explicitly also take usage and trend data into account. The official program listing at ABEMA names December 26 as the date.