Anime NYC and Japan Society have announced the 35 nominees for the second annual American Manga Awards, set to take place on August 21, 2025, at the Japan Society in New York City. This ceremony will be held in conjunction with this year’s Anime NYC convention, which expects to draw over 100,000 attendees to the Jacob K. Javits Center in Manhattan August 21–24.
“It’s exciting to see works from debut creators alongside new volumes from longtime fan favorites, all brought to life through the efforts of translators, editors, letterers, and designers, who win awards for their amazing work,” said Deb Aoki, American Manga Awards committee chair. “These awards are our way of honoring that full creative chain and spotlighting the people who help manga resonate so deeply with English-language readers.”
The 2025 recipients of the Manga Publishing Hall of Fame Award have also been announced. This year, Studio Proteus, the San Francisco–based manga translation and publishing team that helped introduce such manga series as Blade of the Immortal, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and Ghost in the Shell to English-language readers, will be inducted into the Manga Publishing Hall of Fame. Comprising the Studio Proteus team are founder and editor Toren Smith; translators Dana Lewis, Alan Gleason, and Frederik Schodt; along with manga artist and letterer Tomoko Saito; comics creator Adam Warren; and comics letterers Tom Orzechowski and L. Lois Buhalis.
The winners of the American Manga Awards will be determined by votes from professionals working in an editorial capacity with North American manga publishers. Voter registration for the American Manga Awards is open through July 21, and is voting open until July 24.
The nominees for the 2025 American Manga Awards are:
BEST NEW MANGA
- Hikaru in the Light! Volume 1 by Mai Matsuda (Scholastic Graphix/Azuki)
- Dragon and Chameleon Volume 1 by Ryo Ishiyama (Square/Enix Manga & Books)
- The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All Volume 1 by Sumiko Arai (Yen Press)
- Spacewalking With You Volume 1 by Inuhiko Doronoda (Kodansha USA)
- A Witch’s Life in Mongol Volume 1 by Tomato Soup (Yen Press)
BEST CONTINUING SERIES
- The Summer Hikaru Died by Mokumokuren (Yen Press)
- Innocent Omnibus Volume 3 by Shin’ichi Sakamoto (Dark Horse)
- Search and Destroy Volume 2 by Atsushi Kaneko (Fantagraphics / MSX)
- The Apothecary Diaries by Natsu Hyuuga, illustrated by Nekokurage, and compiled by Itsuki Nanao (Square Enix Manga & Books)
- Hirayasumi, Volumes 3–5 by Keigo Shinzo (VIZ Media)
BEST ONE-SHOT MANGA
- H.P. Lovecraft’s The Colour Out of Space by Gou Tanabe (Dark Horse)
- Brain Damage by Shintaro Kago (Fantagraphics)
- A Smart and Courageous Child by Miki Yamamoto (TokyoPop)
- Tamaki and Amane by Fumi Yoshinaga (Yen Press)
- Stardust Family by Aki Poroyama (Yen Press)
BEST NEW EDITION OF CLASSIC MANGA
- They Were 11! By Moto Hagio (Denpa Books)
- Short Game by Mitsuru Adachi (Denpa Books)
- Mansect by Koga Shinichi (Living the Line/Smudge)
- The Legend of Kamui, Volume 1 by Sanpei Shirato (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow, Volumes 1–2 by Asao Takamori, Tetsuya Chiba (Kodansha USA)
BEST LETTERING
- Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow, Volumes 1–2 by Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba; lettering by Evan Hayden (Kodansha USA)
- Cat Man by Parari, lettering by Rebecca Sze (Seven Seas Entertainment)
- Love Laid Bare by Ouchi Kaeru, lettering by Robert Harkins (FAKKU)
- My Tiny Senpai by Saisou, lettering by Joven Voon (J-Novel Club)
- Search and Destroy Volume 2 by Atsushi Kaneko, lettering by Phil Christie (Fantagraphics/MSX)
BEST TRANSLATION
- The Otaku Love Connection by Chu Amairo, translated by minami (Square Enix Manga & Books)
- Face Meat by Bonten Taro, translated by Ryan Holmberg (Living the Line/Smudge)
- Search and Destroy, Volume 2 by Atsushi Kaneko, translated by Ben Applegate (Fantagraphics/MSX)
- Ultra Heaven, Volume 1 by Keiichi Koike, translated by Ajani Oloye (Last Gasp)
- The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant: Volume 1 by Mizugaki Egao, et al; translated by Andreas Kronborg Danielsen (Blue Feathered Quill Publishing)
BEST PUBLICATION DESIGN
- The Legend of Kamui, Volume 1 by Sanpei Shirato, designed by Lucia Gargiulo and Tom Devlin (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Planetes Deluxe Edition Book 1 by Makoto Yukimura, designed by Riley VanDyke and Carl Gustav Horn (Dark Horse)
- Seaside Beta by ohuton, designed by emuh ruh (Glacier Bay Books)
- Veil, Volume 1 by Kotteri, designed by Kohei Nawada Design Office with lettering by Kevin Druelle and Oshino Studio (Udon Entertainment/MSXJoJo’s)
- Bizarre Adventure—Part 7: Steel Ball Run, Volume 1 by Hirohiko Araki, designed by Adam Grano (VIZ Media)