Solo Leveling claimed Anime of the Year at the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, which recognized the year’s top anime titles and talents after a record-breaking 51 million votes from fans across the globe.
The awards ceremony, held at the Grand Prince Hotel Shin Takanawa in Tokyo, marked the event’s ninth edition. It was hosted by voice actress Sally Amaki and entertainer Jon Kabira for the third consecutive year. The celebration featured prominent international presenters, including singer Kacey Musgraves, Stranger Things actors Finn Wolfhard and Gaten Matarazzo, J Balvin, Rina Sawayama, Pabllo Vittar, and more.
In a historic first, Attack on Titan received the Global Impact Award, honoring its cultural influence as its final chapter concluded in late 2024. Yuichiro Hayashi of MAPPA accepted the award on behalf of the creative team.
Musical highlights included live performances from Creepy Nuts, who performed their hit “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” from Mashle: Magic and Muscles; FLOW’s rendition of “DAYS” celebrating Eureka Seven’s 20th anniversary; and LiSA’s medley of “crossing field,” “Datte Atashino Hero,” and “gurenge.”
Other top winners included Look Back for Film of the Year, Ninja Kamui for Best Original Anime, and Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc for Best Continuing Series. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End won Best Drama, Best Background Art, and Best Director for Keiichiro Saito.
International voice talent was also recognized, with awards going to Aoi Yuki (The Apothecary Diaries), Aleks Le (Solo Leveling), and Lohit Sharma (Jujutsu Kaisen).
The event was supported by Sony Music Solutions Inc. and Dempsey Productions, with the awards available soon on Crunchyroll’s YouTube, Twitch, and Sony’s global platforms.
Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini noted, “These are not just series, films, or songs, but works of art that define anime fans’ identities.”
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