The winners of the "Anime Achievement Category" at the international animated film festival "Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2026 (TAAF2026)" (sponsored by the festival's executive committee and the Association of Japanese Animations) were announced on December 3rd. The awards are given to those who have made a significant contribution to the development of the anime industry and culture. The winners include producer Takayuki Matsutani, known for the anime "The Rose of Versailles Boy," manga artist Keiko Takemiya, known for her manga "To Earth...," screenwriter Tomoko Konparu Konparu, known for the animated feature film "The Rose of Versailles," director Mamoru Oshii, known for the anime "Ghost in the Shell" and "Mobile Police Patlabor," and manga artist Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, known for his character design for the anime "Mobile Suit Gundam."
Other recipients of the award include 3D animator and puppet artist Masaaki Mori, animation art director Nizo Yamamoto, who was responsible for background art on Studio Ghibli films such as "Castle in the Sky" and "Grave of the Fireflies," voice actress Mami Koyama, and animation historian Takashi Namiki. TAAF2026 will feature special exhibitions and programs showcasing the achievements of the award winners.
A special promotional video for TAAF2026 has been released on YouTube. The video is narrated by voice actress Atsumi Tanezaki, who appeared in "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End," which won the Anime of the Year Award (TV Series category) at last year's TAAF, and "The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe," which won the Atsumi Tanezaki Fan Award.
Tanezaki commented, "It is a great honor to have had this opportunity thanks to the animations I have been involved in, ' Frieren: Beyond Journey's End' and ' The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe.' Before recording the narration, I heard about previous TAAFs and this year's TAAF. 'It's a festival, a celebration where animations from all over the world come together...!' I was very excited. I narrated with the hope that TAAF will continue to grow in popularity in 2026 and beyond. Everyone, gather in Tokyo!!"
TAAF has been held since 2014 with the aim of promoting anime culture and industry, and discovering and nurturing new talent. The festival selects winners in categories such as the Competition Division, which is open to anime from around the world that have not yet been screened in Japan, and the Anime of the Year Division, which is open to anime released in Japan. It will be held in Ikebukuro, Tokyo from March 13th to 16th, 2026.
(c) Tezuka Productions (c) Takemiya Keiko/Toei Animation (c) Riyoko Ikeda Productions/ The Rose of Versailles Production Committee (c) Oshii Mamoru, Amano Yoshitaka, Tokuma Shoten, Tokuma Japan Communications (c) Sotsu, Sunrise (c) WOWOW Plus/DENTSU TEC (c) 1986 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli (c) ASHI PRODUCTIONS 1982 (c) Anidou Films
