A new Japanese anime awards program will be called the Nippon Anime Awards, with the first ceremony set for Nov. 21, 2027, at SGC Hall Ariake in Tokyo’s Ariake district.
The Association of Japanese Animations (AJA), the industry body behind the prize, announced the name on Nov. 2 at Tokyo Tatemono Brillia Hall. The reveal closed out Tokyo Anime Next, a program of screenings, workshops and live shows that ran Oct. 30–Nov. 2, mostly in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro neighborhood.
AJA president Ishikawa Kazuko unveiled the name on stage alongside the awards’ slogan, “Moving Frames. Moving Hearts. Moving the World.” The awards will honor standout anime titles and the people who make them, with an eye on audiences both in Japan and overseas. The ceremony will also host initiatives, run with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, aimed at opening up new business for the animation sector and developing young talent.
In a message shared at the event, Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko said: “The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will continue to provide strong support for anime and everyone involved in bringing it to life.”
The finale went to “Detective Conan,” which is marking its 30th anniversary. Kuraki Mai, who has recorded numerous songs for the series, performed “Secret of My Heart” backed by the orchestra.
“We hope to share the appeal and potential of anime to an even wider audience around the world and build that future together with all of you,” Ishikawa said.
Elsewhere across the four days, a symposium at The Tokyo International Film Festival‘s TIFFCOM market on Oct. 30 examined the purpose of the new awards. Over the following weekend, 14 titles, most of them theatrical features, screened at three Ikebukuro cinemas, with cast and crew talk sessions attached to four of them. The lineup also gave “Lona,” a TV series from screenwriter Nogi Akiko and Wit Studio, its world premiere with a screening of episode one.
Tokyo Anime Next was organized by the AJA and co-organized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, with Toshima City as special sponsor. Sony Music Solutions ran the event secretariat.
