The American Manga Awards return for his or her third yr in 2026, and the ceremony is shaping as much as be its greatest but. Produced by Anime NYC and Japan Society, the awards have a good time not solely standout manga titles, however the broader ecosystem that makes English-language releases doable, together with translators, letterers, and designers who make Japanese comics readable and exquisite for Western audiences. This yr’s ceremony will happen on August 20, 2026, at Japan Society in New York Metropolis, the night time earlier than Anime NYC opens on the Javits Middle. Throughout 35 nominees, the 2026 slate spans the total spectrum of up to date manga publishing. Fashionable creators like Naoki Urasawa (Billy Bat) sit alongside long-running status works similar to Yuki Urushibara’s Mushishi Collector’s Version, whereas Mokumokuren’s The Summer season Hikaru Died continues its rise as one of the vital talked-about current horror manga. Smaller presses and indie imprints additionally make a robust exhibiting, with publishers like Glacier Bay Books and Star Fruit Books touchdown some much-deserved nominations throughout a number of classes. (The 2 publishers merged in February 2026 after the founding father of Star Fruit Books handed away final yr.) The craft awards are simply as aggressive. Translators together with Asa Yoneda and Alexa Frank are acknowledged alongside letterers and designers whose work hardly ever will get mainstream consideration, regardless of being important to how manga is skilled in English. Publication Design, particularly, highlights the vary of approaches on show this yr, from Wendy Chan’s work on the Fruits Basket full field set to Patrick Crotty’s design for Peow2’s Cease!! Hibari-kun! — a reminder that the presentation may be as defining because the work itself. Winners are chosen by a jury of publishing professionals, together with editors, translators, letterers, librarians, and booksellers, making the American Manga Awards extra a mirrored image of trade consensus than of fan polling. Winners will likely be introduced dwell on the Japan Society ceremony on August 20.
Listed here are all of the nominees for the 2026 American Manga Awards:
Finest New Manga
Billy Bat Vol. 1, by Naoki Urasawa (Kana / Abrams ComicArts)
Bug Ego Vol. 1, by ONE and Kyoto Shitara (VIZ Media)
The Credit Roll Into the Sea Vol. 1, by John Taranchine (Darkish Horse)
The Horrors of Noroi Michiru Vol. 1, by Noroi Michiru (Star Fruit Books and Glacier Bay Books)
Love Bullet Vol. 1, by inee (Yen Press)
Finest Persevering with Sequence
The Climber Vols. 3–6, by Shin’ichi Sakamoto, primarily based on the novel by Jiro Nitta (VIZ Media)
March Is available in Like a Lion Vol. 4, by Chica Umino (Denpa)
Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Journey Information Vol. 7, by Mone Sorai (TokyoPop)
Search and Destroy Vol. 3, by Atsushi Kaneko (Fantagraphics / MSX)
The Summer season Hikaru Died Vol. 6, by Mokumokuren (Yen Press)
Finest One-Shot Manga
Akari, by Marco Kohinata (Glacier Bay Books)
Field Backyard Beetle, by Akino Kondoh (Glacier Bay Books)
cocoon, by Machiko Kyo (VIZ Media)
My Life in 24 Frames per Second, by Rintaro (Kana / Abrams)
The Unusual Story of Panorama Island, by Suehiro Maruo (Final Gasp)
Finest New Version of Basic Manga
Ashita no Joe: Combating for Tomorrow Vols. 3–5, by Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba (Kodansha)
The Legend of Kamui Vols. 2–3, by Sanpei Shirato (Drawn & Quarterly)
Mushishi Collector’s Version Vols. 1–2, by Yuki Urushibara (Kodansha)
Cease!! Hibari-kun! Vol. 1, by Hisashi Eguchi (Peow2)
Extremely Heaven Vol. 2, by Keiichi Koike (Final Gasp)
Finest Lettering
Brendon Hull for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners MADNESS Vol. 1, by Bartosz Sztybor, Asano (Darkish Horse)
Madeleine Jose for Maid to Skate, by Suzushiro (VIZ Media)
Vadim Ok. for Do not Feed the Trolls, by Karasu Chan (J18 Publishing)
Vladyslav L. for Candy and Spicy, by Shimimaru (J18 Publishing)
Vanessa Satone for One Piece Vol. 112, by Eiichiro Oda (VIZ Media)
Finest Translation
Jan Mitsuko Money for Magica, Vol. 1, by Yuzuko Hoshimi (Kodama Tales)
Alexa Frank for Miss Ruki, by Fumiko Takano (New York Assessment Books)
Andres Oliver for Mushishi Collector’s Version Vols. 1–2, by Yuki Urushibara (Kodansha)
Kiki Piatkowska for A Starlit Darkness, Vol. 1, by Yuu Toyota (Sq. Enix Manga & Books)
Asa Yoneda for Ashita no Joe: Combating for Tomorrow Vols. 3–5, by Asao Takamori, Tetsuya Chiba (Kodansha)
Finest Publication Design
Wendy Chan for Fruits Basket: The Full Field Set, by Natsuki Takaya (Yen Press)
Chichols for Magica, Vol. 1, by Yuzuko Hoshimi (Kodama Tales)
Ti Collier for A Cat is a Cat in Any Life, by Ema Tohyama (Sq. Enix Manga & Books)
Patrick Crotty for Cease!! Hibari-kun! Vol. 1, by Hisashi Eguchi (Peow2)
Emuh Ruh for Baku-chan, by Masumura Jushichi (Glacier Bay Books)
