Anime NYC, the largest anime convention on the East Coast, and Japan Society, the venerable New York–based institution dedicated to the celebration and promotion of Japanese culture and society, have partnered to launch a new awards program, the American Manga Awards. Set to take place at the Japan Society in New York on August 22, the awards will “celebrate the outstanding achievements of professionals in the world of Japanese comics,” the organizations said in a joint release.
The new awards slate comes following years of skyrocketing manga sales worldwide and persistent demand for the medium in the U.S. market. Sales of the category have consistently buoyed overall comics sales over the past few years, due to a dramatic increase in consumption of both anime and the manga from which many are adapted as streaming surged during the pandemic. Based on 2023 data, Anime NYC and the Japan Society noted in their release, manga is the fourth largest category in the U.S. book market, per Circana BookScan books analyst Kristen McLean.
"We’re so incredibly honored to bring the American Manga Awards to life in partnership with Japan Society," said M.K. Goodwin, at LeftField Media, which produces Anime NYC, in a statement. "These awards will provide a platform to showcase the incredible talent within the manga community and celebrate its cultural significance."
Japan Society president Joshua Walker added that the establishment of the awards “reflects the significance of this medium and its creators." Walker continued, "We are honored for professionals from across the manga world to come together at Japan Society and convene on our historic stage. We look forward to being a home to this celebration of the past and future of this dynamic and uniquely Japanese art form."
The American Manga Awards will feature multiple categories with nominees selected by a panel of experts and veterans of the Japanese comics world. It will also include a Hall of Fame, honoring “Japanese manga creators and manga publishing professionals that have made significant contributions to the growth and popularity of manga in America,” with Frederik L. Schodt, translator and author of Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics (Kodansha), as its inaugural honoree.
Among the categories for the juried awards are Best New Manga, Best Continuing Manga, Best New Edition of Classic Manga, Best Translation, Best Lettering, and Best Publication Design. Nominees will be announced in July, and winners will be announced during an invitation-only ceremony slated for August 22, on the eve of Anime NYC's annual convention, which will be held August 23–25 at the Javits Center in New York. Submissions for the awards are now open.
The American Manga Awards planning committee is overseen by manga industry veteran Deb Aoki, a regular contributor to Publishers Weekly and the Beat and cohost of the Mangasplaining podcast. This August’s ceremony will be hosted by author and translator Matt Alt. Judges for the awards include Alt and fellow author and translator Hiroko Yoda, comics lettering professionals Tom Orzechowski and Nate Piekos, Kinokuniya Bookstores east coast regional manager Shiegkazu Watanabe, publication designer Sasha Head, New York Public Library senior librarian for young adult services Renee Scott, comics journalists and PW contributors Brigid Alverson and Shaenon Garrity, Anime News Network executive editor Lynzee Loveridge, and manga influencer Minovsky.
This article has been updated for clarity.
