A brand-new Japanese anime award planned for 2027 should put the people who actually make anime in the spotlight — not just the directors or headline names. That was the consensus from top industry leaders at TIFFCOM, the content market of the Tokyo International Film Festival.
TIFFCOM 2026 (Credits: Variety)
The session, moderated by TIFF animation programming advisor Fujitsu Ryota, brought together Shimizu Akira — A-1 Pictures president and Association of Japanese Animations (AJA) director — Saito Yuichiro, president of Studio Chizu and producer of “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time” and “Wolf Children,” and Saito Masaya, chief manager of Toho’s animation division.
New 2027 Anime Award to Recognize Individual Creators, Not Just Directors
The message was clear: anime is a team art, and the award should reflect that. “Creators should be highlighted — and they should be put in the limelight,” Shimizu said, according to Variety. Saito Masaya confirmed Toho helped shape the award’s concept and agreed creators should be the focus.
Fujitsu emphasized recognizing individual members of production teams — the animators, artists and craftspeople audiences never see — rather than focusing exclusively on directors or star talent. Saito Yuichiro, who is also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, noted that anime production works differently from Hollywood, and the new award should spotlight the creators behind each part of the process.
2027 Anime Award Name Reveal Set for November 2
The award’s name and outline will be revealed on November 2 at the closing event of Tokyo Anime Next, the festival that organized the session. Co-hosted by the AJA and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo Anime Next runs October 30–November 2 in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district, with several events at TIFFCOM.
Details remain tentative: the 2027 launch date is yet to be confirmed, and the panelists stressed that their views were not the award’s official positions. But the direction of travel is significant — at a moment when the anime industry hit a record ¥4.45 trillion ($28.2 billion) in 2025, the people driving that growth want their recognition too.
Also Read: Anime Market Grew 15.8% to Record ¥4.45 Trillion ($28.2B) in 2025, AJA Industry Report Confirms
Source: Variety — read the full story there.
