The Weeknd will present the anime of the year award at the tenth annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards, set for Saturday, May 23, in Tokyo.
The global artist, known for incorporating anime influences throughout his music and visuals, will announce the recipient of the evening’s top honor during the live ceremony. Global fan voting remains open through April 15 at 11:59 p.m. PT, giving audiences the chance to help determine winners across 32 categories, including anime of the year. Votes can be cast daily via the official Anime Awards website, Crunchyroll, and MyAnimeList.
This year’s anime of the year nominees are Dan Da Dan season 2, Gachiakuta, My Hero Academia final season, Takopi’s Original Sin, The Apothecary Diaries season 2, and The Summer Hikaru Died. The selection reflects the range of series currently shaping conversations in the medium, from action-driven continuations to more introspective storytelling.
The Weeknd has spoken openly about anime’s role in his development as an artist. In a statement, he described early exposure to Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball before highlighting Shinichiro Watanabe’s Samurai Champloo as a pivotal influence during his teenage years. The series’ fusion of samurai narrative with hip-hop production from Nujabes, Fat Jon, and Force of Nature reshaped how he approached both film and music. He has credited the show with directly informing tracks on his debut mixtape House of Balloons, where he wrote over Nujabes instrumentals, and noted the broader impact of directors such as Satoshi Kon, Mamoru Oshii, and Katsuhiro Otomo on his visual style.
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards, now in its tenth year, aims to recognize the creators, musicians, and performances behind the global popularity of anime. The event will be supported by Sony Music Solutions Inc. and Dempsey Productions and livestreamed for international viewers.
The Weeknd joins a list of presenters drawn from outside traditional anime circles, underscoring the medium’s expanding cultural footprint. While such crossovers can broaden visibility, they also raise familiar questions about how popularity metrics and platform reach influence which works receive the widest attention each awards cycle.
