The winners of the Anime of the Year 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 February 2nd, and it was revealed that the theatrical version of the music-based character rap project "Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-" won the Anime Fan Award, chosen by fan vote. The award is given to the "most beloved work of 2025," taking first place out of a total of 17,412 votes.
The Anime Fan Award winners were "The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe" in 2024, "IDOLiSH7 The Movie: LIVE 4bit BEYOND THE PERiOD" in 2023, "Mecha Amato" in 2022, the first season of the TV anime "IDOLiSH7 Third BEAT!" in 2021, "IDOLiSH7 Second BEAT!" in 2020, "Uta no Prince-sama♪ Maji LOVE Kingdom the Movie" in 2019, "BANANA FISH" in 2018, "Yuri!!! on ICE" in 2017 and 2016, "Gintama" in 2015, "TIGER & BUNNY -The Rising- the Movie" in 2014, and "Danball Senki Wars" in 2013.
The film "Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-" was released in 85 theaters in February 2025 as Japan's first interactive film, in which the winner of a rap battle is decided by audience votes via a smartphone app. Due to the interactive equipment required, the film was only shown in 60 to 80 theaters, but it was a hit, grossing over 2.6 billion yen.
The Anime of the Year category is open to all 452 anime works screened, broadcast, or streamed between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025. The Best Picture and Individual Awards will be selected by votes from producers, creators, and stores selling anime goods active in the anime industry, while the Anime Fan Award will be selected by fan vote.
TAAF has been held since 2014 with the aim of promoting anime culture and industry, and discovering and nurturing new talent. The event 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. The event will be held in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, from March 13th to 16th.
