9th Crunchyroll Anime Awards
| 9th Crunchyroll Anime Awards | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Awarded for | Excellence in anime |
| Date | May 25, 2025 |
| Location | Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa, Tokyo, Japan |
| Country | United States |
| Hosted by | |
| Highlights | |
| Most wins | Solo Leveling (9) |
| Most nominations | Dandadan (22) |
| Anime of the Year | Solo Leveling |
| Film of the Year | Look Back |
| Website | Crunchyroll Anime Awards |
The 9th Crunchyroll Anime Awards was held on May 25, 2025 at the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa in Tokyo, Japan.[1][2] This edition featured 32 categories honoring anime released from September 2023 to December 2024. The ceremony was streamed live by Crunchyroll on YouTube and Twitch. Sally Amaki and Jon Kabira hosted the ceremony for the third time, including its previous edition.
A1 Pictures' Solo Leveling won nine awards including Anime of the Year, becoming the first adaptation of a manhwa to win the award. Meanwhile, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End by Madhouse won four including Best Director. Studio Durian's Look Back, an adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto's manga of the same name, won Film of the Year. Other winners include Dandadan by Science Saru which received the most nominations in this edition with 22, as well as Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Spy × Family, Jujutsu Kaisen, One Piece, Kaiju No. 8, The Apothecary Diaries, Ninja Kamui, Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!, Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World, Blue Box, and Mashle: Magic and Muscles.
Winners and nominees
[edit]Categories for the 9th edition were revealed on December 6, 2024. Nominees were announced on April 3, 2025, in a livestream at Crunchyroll's YouTube channel. Dandadan received the most nominations with 22, followed by Frieren: Beyond Journey's End at 20, and Kaiju No. 8 and Delicious in Dungeon at 16.[3] The four anime series were nominated for Anime of the Year, together with Solo Leveling and The Apothecary Diaries. All Anime of the Year nominees, except The Apothecary Diaries, were also nominated on the Best Animation category, together with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba; however, all Anime of the Year nominees were the new series. One Piece was nominated in the Best Continuing Series category for the third consecutive year, along with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. My Hero Academia received the second Film of the Year nomination with the You're Next film, after Two Heroes which won previously in the third edition. Akira Matsushima received a nomination in Best Character Design for the third consecutive year for his work on Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. Kensuke Ushio was nominated again for Best Score for his work on Dandadan, along with Yuki Kajiura and Go Shiina for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. Atsumi Tanezaki was nominated in the Best VA Performance (Japanese) category for the third consecutive year as Frieren.
Among genre categories, Spy × Family was nominated in Best Comedy for the third consecutive year, and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba for Best Action. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation was nominated for Best Isekai Anime, along with KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!, Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. Oshi no Ko was nominated again for Best Drama. For character categories, Frieren was nominated for Best Main Character and "Must Protect At All Costs" Character. Two characters from both Dandadan (Seiko Ayase and Turbo Granny) and Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Fern and Himmel), were nominated for Best Supporting Character, while Anya Forger of Spy × Family was nominated in the "Must Protect At All Costs" Character category for the third consecutive year. Five anime songs nominated for Best Anime Song were nominated for Best Opening Sequence as well: "Abyss" by Yungblud, "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" and "Otonoke" by Creepy Nuts, "Fatal" by Gemn, and "Level" by SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]: Tomorrow X Together.
Winners
[edit]Solo Leveling won nine awards including Anime of the Year, the first for a manhwa adaptation. The win was described as a massive upset by news outlets, as Frieren: Beyond Journey's End was widely expected to win the top prize;[4][5] it nevertheless won four awards including the inaugural Best Background Art and its director Keiichiro Saito winning Best Director. Look Back won Film of the Year, with its director Kiyotaka Oshiyama receiving the award. Dandadan won three awards including Best Character Design, while Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba won Best Continuing Series and Best Animation. Ninja Kamui won Best Original Anime. Solo Leveling, Blue Box, Mashle: Magic and Muscles, Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, and Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World won the genre awards for Best Action, Best Romance, Best Comedy, Best Slice of Life, Best Drama, and the inaugural Best Isekai Anime respectively. Sung Jin-woo of Solo Leveling won Best Main Character, while Fern of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End won Best Supporting Character. Anya Forger won the "Must Protect at All Costs" Character award for the third consecutive year. "Otonoke" by Creepy Nuts won Best Anime Song and Best Opening Sequence, while "Request" by Krage won Best Ending Sequence. Hiroyuki Sawano won Best Score for his work on Solo Leveling. Aoi Yūki won Best Voice Acting (Japanese) for her work as Maomao in The Apothecary Diaries, while Aleks Le won Best Voice Acting (English) for his work as Sung Jin-woo in Solo Leveling.[6] Attack on Titan became the first recipient to received the Global Impact Award, which was awarded yearly to honor the work and visionary creatives who have produced the anime series changing popular culture.[7] Yuichiro Hayashi, The Final Season's director, accepted the award.[8]
Anime with multiple nominations
[edit]| Wins | Anime |
|---|---|
| 9 | Solo Leveling |
| 4 | Frieren: Beyond Journey's End |
| 3 | Dandadan |
| 2 | Attack on Titan |
| Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba | |
| Look Back | |
| Spy × Family |
Presenters and performers
[edit]The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or a short monologue:[10][11]
| Names | Role |
|---|---|
| Ironmouse | Presented "Must Protect At All Costs" Character |
| Gigguk | Presented Best New Series and Best Main Character |
| Paloma Mami | Presented Best Background Art and Best Drama |
| d4vd | Presented Best Character Design and Best Ending Sequence; tribute to the anime's influence on the entertainment industry |
| Benjamin Whittaker | Presented Best Action and Best Comedy |
| Plastique Tiara | Presented Best Supporting Character and Best Romance |
| J Balvin | Presented Best Opening Sequence |
| Dean Fujioka | Presented Best Animation |
| Saya Ichikawa | Presented Best Isekai Anime |
| Finn Wolfhard Gaten Matarazzo |
Presented Best Continuing Series |
| Chocolate Planet | Presented Best Original Anime |
| Pabllo Vittar | Presented Best Anime Song |
| Mayu Matsuoka | Presented Best Slice of Life |
| Kanata Hongō | Presented Best Score |
| Zak Penn | Presented Best Director |
| Damiano David | Presented the Global Impact Award to Attack on Titan |
| Chloe Kim | Tribute to the Power of Anime |
| Rina Sawayama | Presented Film of the Year |
| Kacey Musgraves | Presented Anime of the Year |
The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, performed musical numbers:[11][12]
| Names | Role | Work |
|---|---|---|
| Creepy Nuts | Performers | "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" from Mashle: Magic and Muscles The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc "Otonoke" from Dandadan |
| Flow | Performers | "Days" to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Eureka Seven |
| Lisa | Performer | "Crossing Field" from Sword Art Online "Datte Atashi no Hero" from the second season of My Hero Academia "Gurenge" from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba |
Ceremony information
[edit]Announced during Crunchyroll's industry panel at CCXP 2024 in São Paulo, Brazil, anime series released from October 2023 to December 2024 are eligible for this edition, with Crunchyroll further noting that future editions would feature anime series released from January to December. This edition featured 32 categories, including new categories for Best Background Art, Best Isekai Anime, and Best VA Performance (Hindi). Categories were revealed on December 6. Nominees were revealed on the first day of public voting, April 3. Voting closed on April 14.[1][9] Presenters for the ceremony on May 25 was announced on April 3, and included presenters such as Brazilian drag pop icon and musician Pabllo Vittar, Canadian actor Finn Wolfhard, and Japanese comedy duo Chocolate Planet, with Sony Group Corporation CEO and President Hiroki Totoki giving opening remarks.[1][10]
Controversies
[edit]Solo Leveling winning Anime of the Year was described as an upset by news outlets, as it is widely expected that the award will be won by Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. The win sparked a debate among fans and critics; while Solo Leveling enjoyed significant popularity and won multiple categories, critics argued that Frieren had broader critical acclaim and a more consistent narrative. The decision led some viewers to question whether the awards were prioritizing hype and recency over artistic merit.[13] Despite receiving 16 nominations, including Anime of the Year and Best Animation, Netflix's Delicious in Dungeon did not win a single award. This outcome led to speculation about a potential bias against non-Crunchyroll platforms, with many fans questioning whether the series was deliberately overlooked.[14]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Crunchyroll Anime Awards Returns to Tokyo on May 25, 2025". Crunchyroll News. Crunchyroll. December 6, 2024. Archived from the original on April 4, 2025. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
- ^ "Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2024: Your Ultimate Guide". Crunchyroll. March 29, 2025. Archived from the original on April 4, 2025. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (April 3, 2025). "Crunchyroll Anime Awards Nominations Revealed". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 3, 2025. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
- ^ Chowdury, Ayaan Paul (May 26, 2025). "Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025: Fan-favorite action spectacle 'Solo Leveling' topples fronturunner 'Frieren' in massive populist upset". The Hindu. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
- ^ Reyna, Leo (May 25, 2025). "Solo Leveling Anime Fans Beat the Odds With Surprise Dark Horse Win at Crunchyroll Anime Awards". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
- ^ a b Cayanan, Joanna (May 25, 2025). "All the Winners of the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 25, 2025. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
- ^ a b Schneider, Michael (May 21, 2025). "'Attack on Titan' to Receive First Global Impact Award at Crunchyroll Anime Awards (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on May 21, 2025. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
- ^ "Crunchyroll Reveals 2025 Anime Awards Winners in Tokyo After a Record 51 Million Votes Cast Globally". Anime News Network. May 25, 2025. Archived from the original on May 25, 2025. Retrieved May 25, 2025.
- ^ a b Mateo, Alex (April 3, 2025). "Crunchyroll Anime Awards Reveals 2025 Nominees". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 4, 2025. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
- ^ a b "Anime Awards 2025 Celebrates Voting Start With Nominees and Presenter Reveals". Crunchyroll. April 3, 2025. Archived from the original on April 3, 2025. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
- ^ a b "Anime Awards 2025 Reveals Musical Performances and Additional Celebrity Presenters". Crunchyroll News. Crunchyroll. May 13, 2025. Archived from the original on May 14, 2025. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
- ^ Grein, Paul (May 25, 2025). "Crunchyroll Reveals 2025 Anime Awards Winners: Full List". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 8, 2025. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
- ^ "Fans are Furious as 'Frieren' Loses Anime of the Year to 'Solo Leveling'". Anime Senpai. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
- ^ "16 nominations, 0 wins: Is Crunchyroll snubbing Netflix's 'Delicious in Dungeon' on purpose?". The Times of India. Retrieved May 30, 2025.
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