Anime NYC and Japan Society Announce Winners of the Inaugural American Manga Awards

New York City, NY - August 22, 2024 - Anime NYC and Japan Society are excited to announce the winners of the first-ever American Manga Awards. The awards ceremony was held on August 22, 2024 at the historic Japan Society in New York City and honored outstanding achievements in the world of Japanese comics, celebrating the best manga published in North America in the past year. Voted on by professionals in the American manga publishing world, it recognized manga creators, translators, letterers, and publication designers who have made significant contributions to manga's popularity in North America.

This prestigious event took place on Japan Society's stage, a stage which has previously welcomed US Presidents and Japanese Prime Ministers, and it was positioned on the eve of Anime NYC, the largest Japanese pop culture convention on the East Coast, which will welcome over 100,000 fans from around the globe to the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City from August 23-25, 2024.

The inaugural American Manga Awards was hosted by author and localized Matt Alt and included opening remarks from Japanese illustrator Acky Bright.

Frederik L. Schodt, renowned translator and author of Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics, was inducted into the American Manga Awards Hall of fame for his pioneering work in introducing manga to English-speaking audiences. His contributions have been instrumental in spreading manga culture across North America.

The winners of the 2024 American Manga Awards are as follow:

Best New Manga
#DRCL midnight children
by Shin'ichi Sakamoto, based on Bram Stoker's Dracula
Viz Media
Editor: Andrew Kuhre Bartosh
Translator: Caleb Cook
Lettering and touch-up: Brendon Hull

Best Continuing Manga Series
Delicious in Dungeon
by Ryōko Kui
Yen Press
Editors: Abigail Blackman, Thomas McAlister
Translator: Taylor Engel
Lettering: Abigail Blackman

Best New Edition of Classic Manga
Neighborhood Story
by Ai Yazawa
Viz Media
Editor: Karla Clark
Translator: Andria McKnight
Touch-up art / lettering: Michelle Pang

Best Translation
Stephen Kohler
translation for Witch Hat Atelier
by Kamome Shirahama
Kodansha
Editor: Haruko Hashimoto

Best Lettering
Lys Blakeslee
lettering for Witch Hat Atelier
by Kamome Shirahama
Kodansha
Editor: Haruko Hashimoto

Best Publication Design
Adam Grano
design for My Name Is Shingo
by Kazuo Umezz
Viz Media
Editor: Joel Enos
Lettering: Evan Waldinger

“Anime NYC and Japan Society are proud to celebrate the excellence and creativity within the manga community, and we look forward to continuing this tradition in future years,” said MK Goodwin, Anime NYC's Event Director.

Nominees were chosen by a panel of experts in manga, including journalists, translators, comics letterers, and designers. To select the winners, voting was conducted exclusively by hundreds of professionals working in editorial capacities within North American manga publishing.

The full ceremony will be available to watch on VOD in the coming weeks on the American Manga Awards website.

The event was supported by sponsors Scholastic Graphix, Viz Media, Hoopla, and Saturday AM. Beverages were donated by Sapporo-Stone Brewing and Brooklyn Kura.

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 over 100,000 fans and the industry 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. 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. For over 100 years, Japan Society has played a key role in US-Japan business, policy, art, culture, and education. Our 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.