The Press Release:
Anime NYC and Japan Society are excited to announce the launch of the first-ever American Manga Awards, set to take place on August 22, 2024 at the historic Japan Society in New York City on the eve of this year’s Anime NYC convention, expected to draw 100,000 attendees.
This first-ever American Manga Awards will celebrate the outstanding achievements of professionals in the world of Japanese comics, who have made significant contributions to manga’s popularity, both in North America and Japan. The manga market in North America has quadrupled in the past four years, and popular manga series regularly top the bestseller lists. Many of the biggest global entertainment franchises from Japan including Attack on Titan, One Piece, Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia, Spy x Family, and Sailor Moon originated as manga series, and based on 2023 data, manga was the 4th largest category in the U.S. book market, according to Kristen McLean, Senior Executive Director of the Circana Entertainment Knowledge Group. In recognition of this, the American Manga Awards will launch focused on elevating manga creators, great manga stories, and the publishing professionals who make it possible for readers in the US/Canada to discover and enjoy these amazing characters and stories in English.
“Japan Society has brought artists, leaders, and tastemakers together for over 100 years across business, art, and culture,” said Japan Society President Dr. Joshua Walker. “The American Manga Awards combines all these things and reflects the significance of this medium and its creators. We are honored for professionals from across the manga world to come together at Japan Society and convene on our historic stage. We look forward to being a home to this celebration of the past and future of this dynamic and uniquely Japanese artform that in many ways defines its soft power especially for the next generation.”
“We’re so incredibly honored to bring the American Manga Awards to life in partnership with Japan Society,” said MK Goodwin, Vice President at LeftField Media, the company that produces Anime NYC. “Manga has captivated audiences around the world with its rich storytelling and beautiful artwork. These awards will provide a platform to showcase the incredible talent within the manga community and celebrate its cultural significance.”
The American Manga Awards Hall of Fame will honor Japanese manga creators and manga publishing professionals that have made significant contributions to the growth and popularity of manga in America.
The first recipient of the Manga Publishing Hall of Fame award will be Frederik L. Schodt, translator and author of Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics (Kodansha), one of the first books in English that opened the doors to manga’s history, creativity and legendary creators.
The American Manga Awards will also feature multiple categories including Best New Manga, Best Continuing Manga Series, Best Translation, Best Lettering, and more. Nominees will be selected by a panel of subject matter experts and luminaries in the world of Japanese comics.
Best Translation nominees will be selected by translators and authors Matt Alt (Pure Invention: How Japan’s Pop Culture Influenced the World) and Hiroko Yoda (Yokai Attack! and the upcoming Eight Million Ways to Happiness).
Best Lettering nominees will be vetted by comics lettering pros Tom Orzechowski (Uncanny X-Men, Marvel Comics) and Nate Piekos (Blambot font foundry, and author of The Essential Guide to Comics Lettering). Piekos also contributed to the design of the American Manga Awards logo, which incorporates Blambot fonts Home Planet and Thunderclap.
Best Publication Design nominees will be chosen by Kinokuniya Bookstores East Coast Regional Manager Shiegkazu Watanabe and publication designer Sasha Head.
Best New Manga, Best Continuing Manga and Best New Edition of Classic Manga nominees will be picked by comics journalists Brigid Alverson (ICv2, School Library Journal), Lynzee Loveridge (Anime News Network), Shaennon Garrity (Otaku USA, Publishers Weekly), Minovsky (@MinovskyArticle), and New York Public Library Senior Librarian – Young Adult Services, Renee Scott.
The nominees for the manga, translation, lettering and publication design categories will be announced in July. The winners will be determined by votes received from professionals working in an editorial capacity with North America (US/Canada) manga publishers, who have either registered to vote via the American Manga Awards website, or have been invited to vote by the American Manga Awards Planning Committee.
The American Manga Awards Planning Committee is led by respected manga industry veteran Deb Aoki, comics journalist with Publishers Weekly and Comics Beat, and co-host of the Mangasplaining podcast. The ceremony will be hosted by accomplished author, translator, and presenter Matt Alt.
The awards ceremony will be held during an invite-only ceremony for manga industry professionals and press at Japan Society’s landmarked headquarters located at 333 East 47th Street, one block from the United Nations. Designed by Japanese architect Junzo Yoshimura, Japan Society’s headquarters has welcomed U.S. Presidents, Japanese Prime Ministers, and Nobel Prize Winners. For over 100 years, Japan Society has played a key role in US-Japan business, policy, art, culture, and education.
The ceremony will be held in conjunction with Anime NYC’s annual convention (August 23-25 in the Javits Center), which will see major manga publishers and retailers including Kinokuniya, Kodansha USA Publishing, Seven Seas Entertainment, VIZ Media, Yen Press, and more participating.
Submissions for the American Manga Awards are open now, with detailed guidelines and entry instructions available on Anime NYC’s website. For more information about the American Manga Awards and to stay updated on the latest announcements, please visit www.animenyc.com/americanmangaawards/ and follow Anime NYC and Japan Society on social media.
About Anime NYC:
Anime NYC is the East Coast’s largest anime convention, dedicated to celebrating Japanese pop culture, manga, and animation. The event has received the award of Consul General from the Japanese Ambassador for providing a gateway to Japanese culture. Anime NYC brings fans and publishers together for three days of unique exhibits, exclusive screenings, extensive panels, and appearances by some of the biggest creators in Japan. The next event takes place August 23-25, 2024 in New York’s Javits Center, and we invite you to join thousands of fans for a celebration of Japanese animation, manga, cosplay, fashion, food, games, toys, and more in the heart of NYC. For more, visit www.AnimeNYC.com.
About Japan Society:
Japan Society is the premier organization connecting Japanese arts, culture, business, and society with audiences in New York and around the world. At Japan Society, we are inspired by the Japanese concept of kizuna (絆)–forging deep connections to bind people together. We are committed to telling the story of Japan while strengthening connections within New York City and building new bridges beyond. In over 100 years of work, we’ve inspired generations by establishing ourselves as pioneers in supporting international exchanges in arts and culture, business and policy, as well as education between Japan and the U.S. We strive to convene important conversations on topics that bind our two countries together, champion the next generation of innovative creators, promote mutual understanding, and serve as a trusted guide for people everywhere who seek to more fully appreciate the rich complexities and abundance of Japan. From our New York headquarters, a landmark building designed by architect Junzo Yoshimura that opened to the public in 1971, we look forward to the years ahead, which will be defined by our digital and ideational impact through the kizuna that we build. Our future can only be enhanced by learning from our peers and engaging with our audiences, both near and afar.
Japan Society programs are made possible by leadership support from Booth Ferris Foundation, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
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PiercingMetal Thoughts: Now that’s the kind of press release I like to share since its so loaded with information. Despite my being a bit of a novice at the whole Anime scene, I still love the stuff that I have perused and as many of our readers for some tenure know, I’ve been attending Anime NYC since it debuted several years ago. I’m hoping to be attending once again and see what the event is like when held in the summer as opposed to the late fall, approaching winter months. So far I have not yet received the final okay for the submitted media application but those are scheduled to come I think in the middle of June and we are now only just starting the month. I don’t have too much else to add to the mix so I will wrap this one up. I imaging when the nominations are revealed that I will have another post to share with you so stay tuned for that and please leave a comment down below in the proper section with your own thoughts about the first ever American Manga Awards. See you next time, keep safe out there. Oh and if you’ve never attended and want to check out some of our past Anime NYC coverage, you can do so by clicking HERE.
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