Lyrical Muse

Anime’s biggest night lit up Tokyo on Sunday (May 25) as the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards returned for its ninth edition, and this year, it was a full-scale cultural spectacle powered by passionate fandom and high-profile appearances.

Held at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa, the ceremony brought together fans, creators, and an eclectic mix of international stars to honor the very best in Japanese animation from the past year. Presenters like Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves, Italian rocker Damiano David, and Brazilian pop icon Pabllo Vittar took the stage, highlighting anime’s growing global resonance far beyond Japan.

With a record-breaking 51 million fan votes cast across categories, the ninth annual event crowned Solo Leveling as Anime of the Year, while acclaimed composer Hiroyuki Sawano snagged Best Score. Meanwhile, Hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts won Best Anime Song for their infectious opening theme “Otonoke” from DAN DA DAN — one of the night’s standout moments.

Returning hosts Sally Amaki and Jon Kabira kept the energy high throughout an evening packed with electrifying live performances from LiSA, FLOW, and Creepy Nuts. A poignant highlight came as Attack on Titan was honored with the first-ever Global Impact Award, closing the curtain on an era-defining saga that shaped modern anime storytelling.

“Fans form deep emotional connections to anime,” said Rahul Purini, President of Crunchyroll in a press statement. “These are not just series, films or songs, but works of art that help define the identity of anime fans.” This year’s event was produced in partnership with Sony Music Solutions Inc., part of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Dempsey Productions.

Whether you’re a longtime otaku or just dipping your toes into the genre, the 2025 Anime Awards made one thing clear: anime isn’t just a passion or a niche — it’s a powerful global movement.

Scroll on for the full list of winners of the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards!

Anime of the Year

WINNER: Solo Leveling
DAN DA DAN
Delicious in Dungeon
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Kaiju No. 8
The Apothecary Diaries

Best Anime Song

WINNER: Otonoke – Creepy Nuts – DAN DA DAN
Abyss – Yungblud – Kaiju No. 8
Bling-Bang-Bang-Born – Creepy Nuts – MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc
Fatal – GEMN -【OSHI NO KO】Season 2
LEveL – SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]: TOMORROW X TOGETHER – Solo Leveling
The Brave – YOASOBI – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Best Score

WINNER: Solo Leveling – Hiroyuki Sawano
BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict- Shiro Sagisu
DAN DA DAN – kensuke ushio
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc – Yuki Kajiura, Go Shiina
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – Evan Call
Look Back – Haruka Nakamura

Film of the Year

WINNER: Look Back
HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle
Mononoke The Movie: The Phantom in the Rain
My Hero Academia: You’re Next
SPY x FAMILY CODE: White
The Colors Within

Best Original Anime

WINNER: Ninja Kamui
BUCCHIGIRI?!
GIRLS BAND CRY
Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night
Metallic Rouge
Train to the End of the World

Best Continuing Series

WINNER: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc
BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict
My Hero Academia, My Hero Academia Season 7
ONE PIECE【OSHI NO KO】【OSHI NO KO】Season 2
SPY × FAMILY, SPY × FAMILY Season 2

Best New Series

WINNER: Solo Leveling
DAN DA DAN
Delicious in Dungeon
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Kaiju No. 8
The Apothecary Diaries

Best Opening Sequence

WINNER: Otonoke – Creepy Nuts – DAN DA DAN
Abyss – Yungblud – Kaiju No. 8
Bling-Bang-Bang-Born – Creepy Nuts – MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc
Fatal – GEMN – 【OSHI NO KO】Season 2
LEveL – SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]: TOMORROW X TOGETHER – Solo Leveling
UUUUUS! – Hiroshi Kitadani – ONE PIECE

Best Ending Sequence

WINNER: request – krage – Solo Leveling
Antanante – riria. – Ranma1/2
Burning – Hitsujibungaku – 【OSHI NO KO】Season 2
KAMAKURA STYLE – BotchiBoromaru – The Elusive Samurai
Nobody – OneRepublic – Kaiju No. 8
TAIDADA – ZUTOMAYO – DAN DA DAN

Best Action

WINNER: Solo Leveling
BLEACH: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Conflict
DAN DA DAN
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc
Kaiju No. 8
WIND BREAKER

Best Comedy

WINNER:  MASHLE: MAGIC AND MUSCLES The Divine Visionary Candidate Exam Arc
Delicious in Dungeon
KONOSUBA -God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! 3
My Deer Friend Nokotan
Ranma1/2
SPY × FAMILY Season 2

Best Drama

WINNER: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
A Sign of Affection
DEAD DEAD DEMONS DEDEDEDE DESTRUCTION
【OSHI NO KO】Season 2
Pluto
The Apothecary Diaries

Best Isekai Anime

WINNER:  Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3
KONOSUBA -God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! 3
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation (season 2, Cour 2)
Shangri-La Frontier Season 2
Suicide Squad ISEKAI
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3

Best Romance

WINNER: Blue Box
A Sign of Affection
Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!
Ranma1/2
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
The Dangers in My Heart Season 2

Best Slice of Life

WINNER: Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!
Laid-Back Camp Season 3
Mr. Villain’s Day Off
My Deer Friend Nokotan
Sound! Euphonium 3
The Dangers in My Heart Season 2

Best Animation

WINNER: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc
DAN DA DAN
Delicious in Dungeon
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Kaiju No. 8
Solo Leveling

Best Background Art

WINNER: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
DAN DA DAN
Delicious in Dungeon
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc
Pluto
The Apothecary Diaries

Best Character Design

WINNER: DAN DA DAN
Delicious in Dungeon
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Kaiju No. 8
The Apothecary Diaries

Best Director

WINNER:  Keiichiro Saito – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Fuga Yamashiro – DAN DA DAN
Haruo Sotozaki – Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc
Megumi Ishitani – ONE PIECE FAN LETTER
Norihiro Naganuma – The Apothecary Diaries
Yoshihiro Miyajima – Delicious in Dungeon

Best Main Character

WINNER: Sung Jinwoo – Solo Leveling
Frieren – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Kafka Hibino – Kaiju No. 8
Okarun – DAN DA DAN
Maomao – The Apothecary Diaries
Momo – DAN DA DAN

Best Supporting Character

WINNER: Fern – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Himmel – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Jinshi – The Apothecary Diaries
Seiko – DAN DA DAN
Senshi – Delicious in Dungeon
Turbo Granny – DAN DA DAN

“Must Protect at All Cost” Character

WINNER:  Anya Forger – SPY × FAMILY Season 2
Frieren – Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
Okarun- DAN DA DAN
Senshi – Delicious in Dungeon
Tokiyuki Hojo – The Elusive Samurai
Yuki Itose – A Sign of Affection

Winners In Other Categories

Best Japanese Voice Artist Performance: Aoi Yuki (Maomao) – The Apothecary Diaries

Best English Voice Artist Performance:  Aleks Le (Sung Jinwoo) – Solo Leveling

Best Arabic Voice Artist Performance: Hiba Snobar (Anya Forger) – SPY × FAMILY Season 2

Best Brazilian Portuguese Voice Artist Performance: Charles Emmanuel (Sung Jinwoo) – Solo Leveling

Best Castilian Spanish Voice Artist Performance: Masumi Mutsuda (Sung Jinwoo) – Solo Leveling

Best French Voice Artist Performance: Adrien Antoine (Kafka Hibino) – Kaiju No. 8

Best German Voice Artist Performance: Daniel Schlauch (Monkey D. Luffy)  – ONE PIECE

Best Hindi Voice Artist Performance: Lohit Sharma (Satoru Gojo) – JUJUTSU KAISEN Season 2

Best Italian Voice Artist Performance: Ilaria Pellicone (Kyomoto) – Look Back

Best Latin Spanish Voice Artist Performance: Miguel Ángel Leal (Eren Jaeger) – Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS Special 2

Loved the winners? Surprised by the picks or snubs? Share your thoughts with us on X/Twitter and Instagram (@LyricalMuseBlog) — we’re all ears!

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