Anime NYC and the Japan Society have revealed the full list of nominees for the third annual American Manga Awards. The ceremony will honor 35 nominees from across the American manga industry and will be held on August 20, 2026 at the Japan Society in New York City.
The nominees for the 2026 American Manga Awards are listed as follows:
BEST NEW MANGA
- • Billy Bat Vol. 1, by Naoki Urasawa (Kana / Abrams ComicArts)
- • Bug Ego Vol. 1, by ONE and Kyoto Shitara (VIZ Media)
- • The Credits Roll Into the Sea Vol. 1, by John Taranchine (Dark 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)
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
- • The Climber Vols. 3 – 6, by Shin’ichi Sakamoto, based on the novel by Jiro Nitta (VIZ Media)
- • March Comes in Like a Lion Vol. 4, by Chica Umino (Denpa)
- • Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide Vol. 7, by Mone Sorai (Tokyopop)
- • Search and Destroy Vol. 3, by Atsushi Kaneko (Fantagraphics / MSX)
- • The Summer Hikaru Died Vol. 6, by mokumokuren (Yen Press)
BEST ONE-SHOT MANGA
- • Akari by Marco Kohinata (Glacier Bay Books)
- • Box Garden Beetle by Akino Kondoh (Glacier Bay Books)
- • cocoon by Machiko Kyo (VIZ Media)
- • My Life in 24 Frames per Second by Rintaro (Kana / Abrams ComicArts)
- • The Strange Tale of Panorama Island by Suehiro Maruo (Last Gasp)
BEST NEW EDITION OF CLASSIC MANGA
- • Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow Vols. 3-5, by Asao Takamori (story) and Tetsuya Chiba (art) (Kodansha)
- • The Legend of Kamui Vols. 2 – 3, by Sanpei Shirato (Drawn & Quarterly)
- • Mushishi Collector’s Edition Vol. 1-2, by Yuki Urushibara (Kodansha)
- • Stop!! Hibari-kun! Vol. 1, by Hisashi Eguchi (Peow2)
- • Ultra Heaven Vol. 2, by Keiichi Koike (Last Gasp)
BEST LETTERING
- • Brendon Hull — Cyberpunk: Edgerunners MADNESS Vol. 1, by Bartosz Sztybor (story), Asano (art) (Dark Horse)
- • Madeleine Jose — Maid to Skate, by Suzushiro (VIZ Media)
- • Vadim K. — Don’t Feed the Trolls, by Karasu Chan (J18 Publishing)
- • Vladyslav L. — Sweet and Spicy, by Shimimaru (J18 Publishing)
- • Vanessa Satone — One Piece Vol. 112, by Eiichiro Oda (VIZ Media)
BEST TRANSLATION
- • Jan Mitsuko Cash — Magica, Vol. 1, by Yuzuko Hoshimi (Kodama Tales)
- • Alexa Frank — Miss Ruki, by Fumiko Takano (New York Review Books)
- • Andres Oliver — Mushishi Collectors Edition Vols. 1-2, by Yuki Urushibara (Kodansha)
- • Kiki Piatkowska — A Starlit Darkness, Vol. 1, by Yuu Toyota (Square Enix Manga & Books)
- • Asa Yoneda — Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow Vols. 3-5, by Asao Takamori (story) and Tetsuya Chiba (art) (Kodansha)
BEST PUBLICATION DESIGN
- • Wendy Chan — Fruits Basket: The Complete Box Set, by Natsuki Takaya (Yen Press)
- • chichols — Magica, Vol. 1, by Yuzuko Hoshimi (Kodama Tales)
- • Ti Collier — A Cat is a Cat in Any Life, by Ema Tohyama (Square Enix Manga & Books)
- • Patrick Crotty — Stop!! Hibari-kun! Vol. 1, by Hisashi Eguchi (Peow2)
- • emuh ruh — Baku-chan, by Masumura Jushichi (Glacier Bay Books)
Additionally, the 2026 recipient of the American Manga Awards’ Manga Publishing Hall of Fame Award will be Chigusa Ogino — an advisor and former Executive Director for the Board of Directors at Tuttle-Mori Agency.
Her contributions are described as such in the press release:
Ogino played a pivotal role in international manga licensing. In 1991, Japanese publisher Shueisha received faxes in Spanish that they couldn’t figure out. It was an inquiry to publish Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama. At the time, most Japanese publishers focused on manga as something mostly for readers in Japan.
Ogino was born in Japan, but grew up in the UK and Germany, so she was well-equipped to help Shueisha bring Dragon Ball and other beloved manga series to readers around the world. As part of Tuttle-Mori Agency, Ogino built and led their manga licensing division, which is today, responsible for manga translation rights to over 20 countries around the world.
Voter registration for the American Manga Awards will open tomorrow, starting on June 16, 2026 until July 20, 2026. All who are involved in manga publishing in Japan, the U.S., or Canada are welcome to register to vote, with detailed guidelines for eligibility and voting procedures available on Anime NYC’s website. Approved voters will receive an email with voting instructions shortly after registering.
Source: press release