Japan's Only Anime & Cross-Industry Collaboration Award Event Ani-Monozukuri Award 2026" will be held! In September, at "KYO-MAFU", 6 categories including Anime CM, Original, International, and Local Creation will be presented, International, Local Creation, etc., 6 categories in total. This year's special award is the "Japanese Food Overseas Popularization Collaboration Special Award"!

The Ani-Monozukuri Award Executive Committee has decided to hold the "Kyoto Ani-Monozukuri Award 2026" to honor tie-up collaboration works by companies and organizations in different industries that utilize anime and manga works and characters, and will begin accepting applications on May 11, 2026 (Monday). In addition, a "Special Award for Collaboration in Promoting Japanese Food Overseas" will be established this year. The Grand Prix and the winning entries in each category will be announced and an award ceremony will be held at the Kyoto International Manga/Animation Fair 2026 (KIMAF) to be held in Kyoto in September.

Kyoto Ani-Monozukuri Award 2026" official visual (illustration by tomoca)

In recent years, the animation market has experienced historic growth due to a string of major hits in animation and TV animation, and the number of fans has been increasing in a wide range of age groups. Companies such as automobile manufacturers, distributors, food and beverage companies, and IT firms have begun to utilize anime, manga, and characters in their marketing activities, such as advertising and collaborative products.

The "Ani-Monozukuri Award" was launched in 2017 to serve as a bridge between the animation industry and companies and to recognize outstanding collaborations and tie-ups that utilize animation. To date, more than 1,020 entries have been received, and many outstanding winning entries have been selected for the past eight "Ani-Monozukuri Awards".

The first award was presented to "Suntory Natural Water x 'What's your name? The first award was presented in the "Suntory Natural Water x 'Kimi no na wa'" Campaign (Suntory Communication Ltd.). Campaign" (Suntory Communications Limited), "Sword Art Online The Beginning Sponsored by IBM" (IBM Japan, Ltd.), and "My name is Ootafuko - Make the earth happy with a little happiness. ～(OTAFUKU Sauce Co., Ltd.), "Heart Forecast ("Eve x Ghana" "Pink Valentine" collaboration movie)" (Lotte Co., Ltd.), "Nanchou Nananan (SORAIRO, a family association for children with hearing loss)" (The 5th), and the 6th Calorie Mate webmovie "Summer Begins. (Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.), "WcDonald's Campaign (McDonald's USA)" for the 7th contest, and "Mi Le Watashi no Mirai (Yanmar Holdings Co., Ltd., Yanmar Brand Asset Design Co., Ltd.)" for the 8th contest, each winning the Grand Prix from among many entries. (The award-winning works and nominees in each category are listed on the official website.)

Ani-Monozukuri Award official website: https://animono.jp

Ani-Monozukuri Award official X : https://x.com/animono_jp

The award will be co-hosted with the Kyoto International Manga & Anime Fair 2026 (KIMAFU) to be held in Kyoto on September 19 (Sat) and 20 (Sun), as in the previous year. Selection will be made in six categories: Animation Commercial, Content Tie-up, Original Content, International, Local Creation, and Special Award. This year's special award is the "Japanese Food Overseas Popularization Collaboration Special Award" for product collaborations and advertising promotions that utilize IP content or original characters to promote Japanese agricultural, forestry, and marine products, foods, processed foods, and seasonings related to Japanese food culture to overseas consumers. The selection committee will be chaired by Mr. Natsuno.

The selection committee is headed by Mr. Tsuyoshi Natsuno, who is well versed in the fields of animation, characters, games, and advertising.

The application period is from Monday, May 11, 2026 to Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Eligible works must have been released, published, or implemented between January 1, 2024 and June 30, 2026 (see application guidelines for details). Entries can be submitted through the official Ani-Monozukuri Award website. The Grand Prix and the winning entries in each category will be announced at the Kyoto International Manga/Animation Fair 2026 (Kyoto Mafu) to be held in Kyoto on September 19 (Sat) and 20 (Sun), and the award ceremony will be held.

Greetings from the Ani-Monozukuri Award Executive Committee

This year we will be holding the "Ani-Monozukuri Award" for the ninth time since its establishment in 2017. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to KYOMAFU, KYOTO CMEX, all cooperating and supporting organizations, all the companies and organizations that have submitted their works so far, and all the people involved.

Japanese animation has taken root among a wide range of generations as pop culture not only in Japan but also in other countries, and it is also increasing its presence as one of the growth industries that drive the Japanese economy. In recent years, Japanese animation has been utilized in marketing and promotion for corporate and regional development, and has been highly effective.

This year's award will promote a variety of initiatives to create new business through collaboration between different industries and animation, and to serve as a bridge between the animation industry, industry, and local communities.

This year, we have also established the "Japanese Food Overseas Popularization Collaboration Special Award" to recognize outstanding efforts to promote Japanese food culture overseas through the use of IP content. We hope that through this award and related seminars, more food businesses will realize the potential of strengthening export capabilities through the use of IP content.

We hope that this award, the only one of its kind in Japan, will encourage more companies and organizations to apply and contribute to the development of their businesses.

What is the Ani-Monozukuri Award?

In recent years, the national success of anime productions and the increase in anime fans of all ages have attracted attention to the increasing number of opportunities for companies and corporations to collaborate with anime, which until now have not been directly related to anime. A variety of examples have emerged, including collaborations with anime in a wide range of industries, such as automobiles, food and beverage manufacturers, distribution, AR and VR ventures, and traditional crafts, as well as an increasing number of organizations actively planning anime-mediated content tourism, known as pilgrimages to sacred places. The "Ani-Monozukuri Award" has been held in Japan since 2006. The "Ani-Monozukuri Award" was established in 2017 with the aim of increasing the number of high quality collaborative contents by awarding excellent works from among such collaborations, and by widely publicizing the efforts of companies and organizations. Kyoto City, which has deep ties to anime culture and is home to many manufacturing companies in traditional and cutting-edge industries, will promote "Ani-Monozukuri" throughout the country and to the world.

Terminology: Ani-Monozukuri

A new movement is gaining momentum that utilizes anime and other content for "monozukuri" and "koto zukuri" (making things). Ani-Monozukuri" refers to new business values, technologies, cultures, products, and services created by combining Japan's strength in "anime" with "monozukuri" and "koto zukuri".

What is Kyoto International Manga/Anime Fair (KIMAF) 2026?

To promote the content industry in Kyoto City,

(1) Creation and growth of new industries utilizing content

(2) Creation, development and retention of creative human resources

(3) Enhance Kyoto's brand power as a world-class cultural city

(4) Attracting more tourists, especially young people, to the city,

It is the largest comprehensive trade fair of manga, animation, and games in western Japan, held with the aim of promoting the contents industry in the Kansai region, centering on Kyoto. The fair attracts a large number of visitors, and publishers, TV stations, video manufacturers, and other exhibitors promote their latest works, sell goods, and hold stage events.

The "Kyoto Ani-Monozukuri Award 2026" Application Outline

<Entries

Products, services, advertisements, and promotions by companies, corporations, and organizations that were released, publicized, or implemented between January 1, 2024 and June 30, 2026, and that utilize animation, manga, characters, etc., are eligible for this award.

＜Application period and method

Application period: From Monday, May 11, 2026 to Tuesday, June 30, 2026 (tentative)

*For details on how to apply, please refer to the application form on the official Ani-Monozukuri Award website.

<Submission Categories

(1) Animation CM Category

　～(1) Animated Commercial Category - Animated commercials created using animation techniques that have been shown on TV, the Web, etc. will be eligible.

(2) Content Tie-up Category

　～This category is for commercials, tie-ups, and collaborations in the fields of products, services, and advertising promotions, utilizing the characteristics and worldview of existing IP (animation, cartoons, characters, etc.).

(3) Original Content Category

　～This category is for products, services, and advertising promotions that utilize the company's own characters and original content (videos featuring characters, various content featuring voice actors, reading materials, etc.).

(4) International Category

　～This category is for overall corporate communications such as TV commercials, content collaborations, craft designs, etc., utilizing Japanese animation, manga, games, character works, etc., in regions outside of Japan.

(5) Regional Development Category

　-An initiative by a company, organization, municipality, etc. utilizing animation, manga, or characters for the purpose of regional industrial promotion or other local development. This category includes public relations activities, tourism PR, collaboration between traditional crafts and IP, businesses related to pilgrimages to sacred places, events, etc.

Traditional crafts x anime, regions x anime, local government x anime, pilgrimage-related business, transportation x anime, tourism PR x anime

(6)Japanese Food Overseas Promotion Collaboration Special Award (New)

　～This award is given to outstanding examples of product collaborations and advertising promotions that utilize IP content or original characters to promote Japanese agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and foods, processed foods, and seasonings related to Japanese food culture to overseas consumers.

(7) Overall Grand Prix

　～The overall grand prix will be awarded to the most outstanding entries in the above categories.

*Anybody involved in the production of content, including content providers, advertising agencies, and persons in charge of manufacturers, is eligible to apply (self-recommendations only).

Duplicate entries in each category are allowed.

*Past entries will not be considered. However, if the launch or release of a new series of animation commercials or collaborative products is included in the application period, it may be submitted.

*Because the theme of the competition is "Anime x different industries," for example, the promotion of a new anime by an anime company, the promotion of a new manga by a publishing company, the promotion of a new game by a game company, and other in-house promotion efforts by content-related businesses are not eligible. If you have any questions, please contact the official website or the secretariat.

The categories and contents are subject to change without prior notice.

＜Announcement of each category award

Announcement and awarding event: September 19 or 20, 2026

At: "Kyoto International Manga/Anime Fair 2026" venue

<Selection Committee Members

Selection Committee Chairman

Takeshi Natsuno (Director, Institute of Informatics, Kinki University, Specially Invited Professor, Director, President and Chief Executive Officer, KADOKAWA, Inc.)

Selection Committee

Mr. Naoshi Sudo (Journalist)

Akinori Nakamura (Professor, Faculty of Imaging Arts and Sciences, Ritsumeikan University)

Atsuo Nakayama (Entertainment Sociologist)

Kazuo Rikugawa (President, Character Data Bank, Executive Director, Character Brand License Association)

In alphabetical order

Special Selection Committee Members

Mr. Shigeru Saito (Chairman of KYOTO Cross Media Experience Executive Committee, Chairman and CEO, Tose Co.)

Mr. Ryutaro Hayashi (Advertisement creator and producer)

Mr. Taro Maki (Representative Director of Jenco)

Mr. Azusa Matsuda (SPJA VP of Business Development)

In alphabetical order

<Organizers and Management

Organizer: Ani-Monozukuri Award Executive Committee

Co-organized by: Kyoto International Manga & Anime Fair Executive Committee, KYOTO Cross Media Experience Executive Committee

＜Cooperation

Anime Expo

<Support

Character Data Bank, Inc.

City of Kyoto

Tokyo Otaku Mode Inc.

Peatix Japan Inc.

In no particular order

For inquiries from the general public, please contact

◆Ani-Monozukuri Award Executive Committee (Secretariat: within Anime Business Create Co.)

Email: award@animono.jp

For application details, please visit the official website of "Ani-Monozukuri Award" → https://animono.jp