Crunchyroll has had an eventful time over the past calendar year, rolling out a continuous lineup of anime hits and even having a major hand in Demon Slayer’s greatest box office success. To celebrate another strong year, it is going big for its milestone 10th Anime Awards, bringing Abel Tesfaye aka performing artist The Weeknd will headline its celebrity lineup to present the coveted “Anime of the Year” award.
It’s a particularly momentous occasion as the event celebrates the anime streaming giant’s presence in the fandom by featuring a musician who has thoroughly been influenced by anime throughout his career. The event, set for Saturday, May 23, 2026, in Tokyo, Japan, has its categories up now for voters around the world to support their favorite anime HERE, with polls closing on April 15 at 11:59 PM PT.
The Weeknd Headlines Featured Talent at Crunchyroll’s 10th Anime Awards
Presenting the Anime of the Year award, The Weeknd has hardly concealed his love for anime and manga overall. Beyond his citations of Shinichiro Watanabe’s Samurai Champloo in particular as a pivotal influence on his early career, the artist spoke of a childhood enveloped in classic ’90s kid anime fixations like Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z.
“When I was first introduced to anime, I was a child. Sailor Moon was one of my first crushes, Goku my first imaginary sparring partner, and “One More Time” by Daft Punk was a song and music video I couldn’t get out of my head.
But it wasn’t until my teenage years that one specific anime changed me forever and became part of the fabric of my early career: Samurai Champloo by Shinichiro Watanabe. It was the first time I experienced two of my favorite mediums—anime and hip hop—blending so seamlessly that it completely reshaped the way I watched film and listened to music.
The fusion of a samurai story told with auteur precision, paired with the sounds of Nujabes, Fat Jon, and Force of Nature was nothing short of transformative.
That influence stayed with me all the way through the creation of House of Balloons, where I wrote “The Morning,” “Glass Table Girls,” and “Loft Music” over Nujabes’ instrumentals. Without Watanabe and Nujabes, House of Balloons simply wouldn’t exist.
Samurai Champloo opened my eyes to a more mature world of anime and helped shape my visual DNA. The works of Satoshi Kon, Mamoru Oshii, and Katsuhiro Otomo became foundational to the look and feel of The Weeknd.
So it’s safe to say I wouldn’t be here without anime. It’s an honor to celebrate the artists behind it and a medium that continues to inspire the world.”
-The Weeknd
Himself the latest prominent figure to feature at the Anime Awards beyond previous ceremonies featuring Kacey Musgraves, Stranger Things’ Gaten Matarazzo and Finn Wolfhard, and particularly Megan Thee Stallion in 2024, The Weeknd showcases a multifaceted love for the medium.
The Weeknd will present the Anime of the Year award to the winner among the following nominees:
- Dandadan Season 2
- Gachiakuta Season 1
- My Hero Academia Final Season
- Takopi’s Original Sin
- The Apothecary Diaries Season 2
- The Summer Hikaru Died Season 1
In addition to featuring at the Anime Awards, fans have no doubt seen or heard of his recent escapades, living the dream as an otaku and meeting his personal favorites, like recently getting his photo and a special illustration gift from Riku Oseto. The Nezumi’s First Love creator’s work is one of the artist’s favorites as shared on Twitter, and just the latest in a string of manga and anime meetups for the iconic musician.
Crunchyroll’s Anime Awards Guests Include Japanese and Global Icons
Beyond even solely The Weeknd, other featured talent will be joining for the 10th Anime Awards this May from around the world. This includes Dean Fujioka, perhaps most famous for his “History Maker” song for Yuri!! on Ice (the first Anime of the Year winner), as well as Asian Kung-Fu Generation and Porno Graffitti, all well-known for various anime themes throughout the years.
But beyond even simply Japanese performing artists including legends like Yoko Takahashi (Neon Genesis Evangelion) alongside The Weeknd, additional talent includes rapper and actor RZA and prominent actor Winston Duke, known for his role as M’Baku across multiple MCU films. It’s an impressive lineup, and is sure to grab attention as the streaming service celebrates 10 years of Anime Awards ceremonies. While Crunchyroll is simultaneously dealing with a handful of PR challenges lately, including its most recent data breach, another round of layoffs, and subtitling controversies, one thing cannot be denied: they can absolutely put on a show.
