Summer Hikaru Died leads 2026 best manga awards nominees list

The American Manga Awards return for their third year in 2026, and the ceremony is shaping up to be its biggest yet. Produced by Anime NYC and Japan Society, the awards celebrate not only standout manga titles, but the broader ecosystem that makes English-language releases possible, including translators, letterers, and designers who make Japanese comics readable and beautiful for Western audiences. This year’s ceremony will take place on August 20, 2026, at Japan Society in New York City, the night before Anime NYC opens at the Javits Center.

Across 35 nominees, the 2026 slate spans the full spectrum of contemporary manga publishing. Popular creators like Naoki Urasawa (Billy Bat) sit alongside long-running prestige works such as Yuki Urushibara’s Mushishi Collector’s Edition, while Mokumokuren’s The Summer Hikaru Died continues its rise as one of the most talked-about recent horror manga. Smaller presses and indie imprints also make a strong showing, with publishers like Glacier Bay Books and Star Fruit Books landing some much-deserved nominations across multiple categories. (The two publishers merged in February 2026 after the founder of Star Fruit Books passed away last year.)

The craft awards are just as competitive. Translators including Asa Yoneda and Alexa Frank are recognized alongside letterers and designers whose work rarely gets mainstream attention, despite being essential to how manga is experienced in English. Publication Design, in particular, highlights the range of approaches on display this year, from Wendy Chan’s work on the Fruits Basket complete box set to Patrick Crotty’s design for Peow2’s Stop!! Hibari-kun! — a reminder that the presentation can be as defining as the work itself.

Winners are chosen by a jury of publishing professionals, including editors, translators, letterers, librarians, and booksellers, making the American Manga Awards more a reflection of industry consensus than of fan polling. Winners will be announced live at the Japan Society ceremony on August 20.

Here are all the nominees for the 2026 American Manga Awards:

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)
• 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 and Tetsuya Chiba (Kodansha)
• The Legend of Kamui Vols. 2–3, by Sanpei Shirato (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Mushishi Collector’s Edition Vols. 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 for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners MADNESS Vol. 1, by Bartosz Sztybor, Asano (Dark Horse)
• Madeleine Jose for Maid to Skate, by Suzushiro (VIZ Media)
• Vadim K. for Don’t Feed the Trolls, by Karasu Chan (J18 Publishing)
• Vladyslav L. for Sweet and Spicy, by Shimimaru (J18 Publishing)
• Vanessa Satone for One Piece Vol. 112, by Eiichiro Oda (VIZ Media)

Best Translation

• Jan Mitsuko Cash for Magica, Vol. 1, by Yuzuko Hoshimi (Kodama Tales)
• Alexa Frank for Miss Ruki, by Fumiko Takano (New York Review Books)
• Andres Oliver for Mushishi Collector’s Edition Vols. 1–2, by Yuki Urushibara (Kodansha)
• Kiki Piatkowska for A Starlit Darkness, Vol. 1, by Yuu Toyota (Square Enix Manga & Books)
• Asa Yoneda for Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow Vols. 3–5, by Asao Takamori, Tetsuya Chiba (Kodansha)

Best Publication Design

• Wendy Chan for Fruits Basket: The Complete Box 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 (Square Enix Manga & Books)
• Patrick Crotty for Stop!! Hibari-kun! Vol. 1, by Hisashi Eguchi (Peow2)
• Emuh Ruh for Baku-chan, by Masumura Jushichi (Glacier Bay Books)