Wit Studio, the animation powerhouse behind "Attack on Titan," has announced a new anime awards initiative called Tokyo Anime Next. The event is scheduled to run from October 30 to November 2 and was revealed during a Production I.G x Wit Studio Industry Panel at Anime Expo 2026. According to Wit Studio founder George Wada, the stated goal is "to judge, recognize, and give awards to anime in Japan, by the Japanese people.”
This declaration has led to speculation that the awards are a direct response to the Crunchyroll Anime Awards. However, the landscape of anime accolades in Japan is already diverse, featuring events like the Anime Grand Prix and the Tokyo Anime Awards, which involve industry professionals and academics but often lack international visibility. Tokyo Anime Next's stated ambition to establish a foundation for a larger international event in 2027 suggests a focus on global reach.
The emphasis on a "Japanese" award show also warrants closer examination. Crunchyroll, while an American company, is a subsidiary of Sony, a Japanese conglomerate. Furthermore, the Crunchyroll Anime Awards have been held in Tokyo since 2023 and feature Japanese presenters and opening addresses from Sony executives, indicating a significant Japanese presence.
Criticism of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards often centers on its voting system, which reportedly favors judges over public votes by a 70:30 margin. The panel for the 2026 awards has also been noted for a perceived lack of traditional industry professionals, with many participants identified as journalists, influencers, or social media personalities.
Tokyo Anime Next, by contrast, intends to be hosted by a coalition of anime studios. This could position the new awards as an industry-driven initiative, distinguishing it from distributor-led events. The potential for such an awards show to involve creators and executives from the Japanese anime industry could offer a different type of recognition.
The question of public participation in Tokyo Anime Next remains. If voting is restricted to Japanese citizens, it could prove controversial given that international revenue has surpassed domestic revenue for the anime industry since 2023. While overseas business contributed 118.8 billion yen ($781 million) in 2024, the production market, tracking studio revenues, still relies heavily on domestic business, which grew to 466.2 billion yen ($3.06 billion) in the same year.
This financial dynamic may underscore Wada's intent: to create an industry-focused, "more Japanese" alternative that also acknowledges the growing international market. The emergence of Tokyo Anime Next thus reflects a nuanced internal struggle within the anime industry as it navigates its global popularity while maintaining its domestic roots and identity.