Anime Awards 2019 – All the nominees for the best in Japanese animation

Coming off a phenomenal 2017, anime had a hell of a high benchmark to reach in 2018. With the likes of Little Witch Academia, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans and at least three million Isekai series, the line in the sand was drawn…and freakin’ vaulted over. If the last revolution around the burning star that sustains life on this planet is any indication, then 2018 may just be one of the very best years in all of anime.

An increase in production quality, more wild ideas and a few retro throwbacks all combined to create a titanic blitzkrieg of japanimation that was seared into fanboy eyeballs by the time a catchy end sequence song began playing. I’m talking the greats here, from Megalo Box’s scaled down resolution that made your TV feel like it was bought in a 90s warehouse to SSSS Gridman’s rescue of mecha and All Might’s epic last stand against One for All in My Hero Academia.

It’s time to honour the best that 2018 had to offer, and what better way to do so than with an awards show? This year, anime streaming service Crunchyroll will be doing just that with the Anime Awards. Scheduled for broadcast on February 16 at 6PM PT (Which is an ungodly hour of 4AM in local African time), the third annual Anime Awards will be available for streaming on Twitch.

So far, the competition looks amazing, with the show itself featuring plenty of talent in its various hosts and announcers:

• Ryan Potter – Actor (DC’s “Titans” and “Big Hero 6”)
• Justin Briner – English voice actor (“My Hero Academia”)
• Kevin Penkin – Composer (“The Rising of the Shield Hero,” “Made in Abyss”)
• Freddie Wong – RocketJump Productions, Director(“Anime Crimes Division”)
• SungWon Cho (ProZD) – Creator/Influencer (“Anime Crimes Division”)
• Roger DiLuigi – Creator/Influencer (Roger’s Base)
• Yssa Badiola – Animator/Director, Rooster Teeth
• Miles Luna – Writer/Director, Rooster Teeth (“gen:LOCK”)
• Tristan Gallant – Creator/Influencer (Glass Reflection)
• Miranda Sanchez – Senior Editor, IGN
• Geoff Thew – Creator/Influencer (Mother’s Basement)
• Victoria Holden, Miles Thomas and Tim Lyu – Crunchyroll staff and supporting hosts

As for the nominees? More than five million votes were cast across a wide variety of categories, including the most important topic of all: Best Girl. Here’s the full list of nominees.

Best Protagonist

• Retsuko – AGGRETSUKO
• Yumeko Jabami – KAKEGURUI: COMPULSIVE GAMBLER
• Joe – MEGALOBOX
• Violet Evergarden – VIOLET EVERGARDEN
• Rimuru Tempest – THAT TIME I GOT REINCARNATED AS A SLIME
• Sakuta Azusagawa – RASCAL DOES NOT DREAM OF BUNNY GIRL SENPAI

Best Antagonist

• Ryo Asuka – DEVILMAN CRYBABY
• Akane Shinjo – SSSS.GRIDMAN
• All For One – MY HERO ACADEMIA SEASON 3
• Yuri – MEGALOBOX
• Tokushiro Tsurumi – GOLDEN KAMUY
• Momonga – OVERLORD III

Best Boy

• Kotaro Tatsumi – ZOMBIE LAND SAGA
• Honda-san – SKULL-FACE BOOKSELLER HONDA-SAN
• Izuku Midoriya – MY HERO ACADEMIA SEASON 3
• Sakuta Azusagawa – RASCAL DOES NOT DREAM OF BUNNY GIRL SENPAI
• Haida – AGGRETSUKO
• Joe – MEGALOBOX

Best Girl

• Anzu – HINAMATSURI
• Hinata Miyake – A PLACE FURTHER THAN THE UNIVERSE
• Lily Hoshikawa – ZOMBIE LAND SAGA
• Asirpa – GOLDEN KAMUY
• Nadeshiko Kagamihara – LAID-BACK CAMP
• Mai Sakurajima – RASCAL DOES NOT DREAM OF BUNNY GIRL SENPAI

Best Opening Sequence

• Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku – FICTION 
• DARLING in the FRANXX – KISS OF DEATH
• Kakegurui: Compulsive Gambler – DEAL WITH THE DEVIL
• Pop Team Epic – POP TEAM EPIC
• Aggretsuko – AGGRETSUKO THEME
• JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind – FIGHTING GOLD

Best Ending Sequence

• MEGALOBOX – KAKATTE KOI YO
• Attack on Titan Season 3 – AKATSUKI NO REQUIEM
• After the Rain – REF:RAIN
• FLCL Alternative – STAR OVERHEAD
• Revue Starlight – FLY ME TO THE STAR
• FLCL Progressive – SPIKY SEEDS

Best VA Performance (Japanese)

• Mamoru Miyano – KOTARO TATSUMI, ZOMBIELAND SAGA
• Soma Saito – HONDA-SAN, SKULL-FACE BOOKSELLER HONDA-SAN
• Megumi Han – MIKI MAKIMURA, DEVILMAN CRYBABY
• Nao Toyama – RIN SHIMA, LAID-BACK CAMP
• Rareko – RETSUKO, AGGRETSUKO
• Reina Ueda – AKANE SHINJO, SSSS.GRIDMAN

Best VA Performance (English)

• Kari Wahlgren – HARUKO HARUHARA, FLCL PROGRESSIVE
• Christopher Sabat – ALL MIGHT, MY HERO ACADEMIA SEASON 3
• Erica Mendez – RETSUKO, AGGRETSUKO
• David Wald – NARRATOR, MR TONEGAWA: MIDDLE MANAGEMENT BLUES
• Tia Ballard – ZERO TWO, DARLING IN THE FRANXX
• Erika Harlacher – VIOLET EVERGARDEN, VIOLET EVERGARDEN

Best Director

• Masaaki Yuasa – DEVILMAN CRYBABY
• Atsuko Ishizuka – A PLACE FURTHER THAN THE UNIVERSE
• You Moriyama – MEGALOBOX
• Yohei Suzuki – PLANET WITH
• Taichi Ishidate – VIOLET EVERGARDEN
• Hiroko Utsumi – BANANA FISH

Best Animation

• Violet Evergarden – STUDIO: KYOTO ANIMATION
• Devilman Crybaby – STUDIO: SCIENCE SARU
• MEGALOBOX – STUDIO: TMS ENTERTAINMENT/3XCUBE
• A Place Further Than the Universe – STUDIO: MADHOUSE
• Bloom into You – STUDIO: TROYCA
• My Hero Academia Season 3 – STUDIO: BONES

Best Film

• The Night is Short, Walk On Girl – STUDIO: SCIENCE SARU
• My Hero Academia: Two Heroes – STUDIO: BONES
• Mirai of the Future – STUDIO: STUDIO CHIZU
• Liz and the Blue Bird – STUDIO: KYOTO ANIMATION
• Mazinger Z: Infinity – STUDIO: TOEI ANIMATION
• Fireworks – STUDIO: SHAFT

Best Character Design

• Violet Evergarden – AKIKO TAKASE
• Devilman Crybaby – AYUMI KURASHIMA, KIYOTAKA OSHIYAMA AND GO NAGAI
• ZOMBIE LAND SAGA – KASUMI FUKAGAWA
• MEGALOBOX – HIROSHI SHIMIZU
• Aggretsuko – SANRIO
• JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind – TAKAHIRO KISHIDA

Anime of the Year

• A Place Further Than the Universe – STUDIO: MADHOUSE
• Devilman Crybaby – STUDIO: SCIENCE SARU
• MEGALOBOX – STUDIO: TMS ENTERTAINMENT/3XCUBE
• Violet Evergarden – STUDIO: KYOTO ANIMATION
• HINAMATSURI – STUDIO: FEEL
• ZOMBIE LAND SAGA – STUDIO: MAPPA

Best Fight Scene

• Hina vs Anzu – HINAMATSURI
• All for One vs All Might – MY HERO ACADEMIA SEASON 3
• Naruto & Sasuke vs Momoshiki – BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS
• Jiren vs Goku – DRAGON BALL SUPER
• Yami vs Licht – BLACK CLOVER
• Satan vs Devilman – DEVILMAN CRYBABY

Best Continuing Series

• The Ancient Magus’ Bride – STUDIO: WIT STUDIO
• Dragon Ball Super – STUDIO: TOEI ANIMATION
• Black Clover – STUDIO: PIERROT
• March comes in like a lion – STUDIO: SHAFT
• One Piece – STUDIO: TOEI ANIMATION
• BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS – STUDIO: PIERROT

Not enough Jojo on that list, but I’ll let it pass seeing as how Megalo Box has earned plenty of nods. So, who do you think is walking away with top honours this year? Sound off below.

Last Updated: February 12, 2019