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Tezuka Cultural Awards

The finalists for the Grand Prize at the 9th Tezuka Osamu Bunka-sho ("Tezuka Cultural Award") have been announced by the award sponsor, Asahi Shimbun.

Suikyou Kitan by Yoko Kondou
Danchi Tomoo by Tobira Oda
Nodame Cantabile by Tomoko Ninomiya
Historie by Hitoshi Iwaaki
Hyakki Yakou Shou by Ichiko Ima
Pluto (based on a Tezuka manga) by Naoki Urasawa
Maihime (Terepsichore) by Ryōko Yamagishi
Yunagi no Machi, Sakura no Kuni by Fumiyo Kouno
REAL by Takehiko Inoue

Winners will be announced in May.

Every year a grand prize for manga is given out. Other awards, not given out every year, include the Award for Excellence, the Shinsei ("new hope") Award, the Short Manga Prize and a Special Award.

Manga readers from the general public and industry professionals make the nominations, these nominations are then reduced by a panel of 8 judges to 9 finalists for the Grand Prize.

In 2000 Frederik L. Schodt won a special award for his book "Dreamland Japan" and its contribution to the awareness of manga in North America. In 2003 Hikaru no Go won the Shinsei Award.

Past Grand Prize winners

1997 Doraemon, by Fujiko F. Fujio
1998 Botchan no Jidai, by Natsuo Sekikawa and Jiro Taniguchi
1999 Monster, by Naoki Urasawa
2000 The Monkey King and other Chinese Legends (Saiyuu Youenden), by Daijirou Moroboshi
2001 The Master of Shade and Light (Onmyo-Shi), story by Baku Yumemakura, art by Reiko Okano (Osamu Tezuka's Daughter in Law)
2002 Vagabond, by Takehiko Inoue
2003 Kiiroi Hon (The Yellow Book) Fumiko Takano
2004 Helter Skelter, by Kyoko Okazaki