The winners were announced by Japan Society and Anime NYC.
The winners for the 3rd American Manga Awards winners were announced on 20 August, 2026, on the first night of Anime NYC. The winning manga titles include Billy Bat, The Summer Hikaru Died, Cocoon, and many other titles.
Who are the winners of the 2026 American Manga Awards?
Here are all the winners of this year’s American Manga Awards:
Best New Manga
Winner: Billy Bat Volume 1 by Naoki Urasawa (Kana/Abrams ComicArts)
The other nominees in the category were:
- Bug Ego Volume 1 by ONE and Kyoto Shitara (Viz Media)
- The Credits Roll into the Sea Volume 1by John Taranchine (Dark Horse)
- The Horrors of Noroi Michiru Volume 1 by Noroi Michiru (Star Fruit Books and Glacier Bay Books)
- LOVE-BULLET Volume 1 by inee (Yen Press)
Best Continuing Manga Series
Winner: The Summer Hikaru Died Volume 6 by Mokumokuren (Yen Press)
The other nominees in the category were:
- The Climber Volumes 3-6 by Shin'ichi Sakamoto (based on Jirō Nitta's novel) (Viz Media)
- March comes in like a lion Volume 4 by Chica Umino (Denpa)
- Our Not-So-Lonely Planet Travel Guide Volume 7 by Mone Sorai (Tokyopop)
- Search and Destroy Volume 3 by Atsushi Kaneko (Fantagraphics/MSX)
Best One-Shot Manga
Winner: Cocoon by Machiko Kyō (Viz Media)
The other nominees in the category were:
- Akari by Marco Kohinata (Glacier Bay Books)
- Box Garden Beetle by Akino Kondoh (Glacier Bay Books)
- My Life in 24 Frames per Second by Rintarō (Kana/Abrams)
- The Strange Tale of Panorama Island by Suehiro Maruo (Last Gasp)
Best New Edition of Classic Manga
Winner: Mushishi Collector's Edition Volumes 1-2 by Yuki Urushibara (Kodansha)
The other nominees in the category were:
- Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow Volumes 3-5 by Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba (Kodansha)
- The Legend of Kamui Volumes 2-3 by Sanpei Shirato (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Stop!! Hibari-kun! Volume 1 by Hisashi Eguchi (Peow2)
- Ultra Heaven Volume 2 by Keiichi Koike (Last Gasp)
Best Lettering
Winner: Madeleine Jose for Maid to Skate by Suzushiro (Viz Media)
The other nominees in the category were:
- Brendon Hull for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Madness Volume 1 by Bartosz Sztybor, Asano (Dark Horse)
- Vadim K. for Don't Feed the Trolls by Karasu Chan (J18 Publishing)
- Vladyslav L. for Sweet and Spicy by Shimimaru (J18 Publishing)
- Vanessa Satone for One Piece Volume 112 by Eiichiro Oda (Viz Media)
Best Translation
Winner: Jan Mitsuko for Cash for Magica Volume 1 by Yuzuko Hoshimi (Kodama Tales)
The other nominees in the category were:
- Alexa Frank for Miss Ruki by Fumiko Takano (New York Review Books)
- Andres Oliver for Mushishi Collectors Edition Volumes 1-2 by Yuki Urushibara (Kodansha)
- Kiki Piatkowska for A Starlit Darkness Volume 1 by Yū Toyota (Square Enix Manga & Books)
- Asa Yoneda for Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow Volumes 3-5 by Asao Takamori, Tetsuya Chiba (Kodansha)
Best Publication Design
Winner: Wendy Chan for Fruits Basket: The Complete Box Set, by Natsuki Takaya (Yen Press)
The other nominees in the category were:
- chichols for Magica (volume 1) by Yuzuko Hoshimi (Kodama Tales)
- Ti Collier for A Cat Is a Cat in Any Life by Ema Tohyama (Square Enix Manga & Books)
- Patrick Crotty for Stop!! Hibari-kun! (volume 1) by Hisashi Eguchi (Peow2)
- Emuh Ruh for Baku Chan by Masumura Jushichi (Glacier Bay Books)
Moreover, two people were inducted into the Manga Publishing Hall of Fame:
- Advisor and former Executive Director in the Board of Directors for Tuttle-Mori Agency, Chigusa Ogino,
- Co-founder of Vertical and editorial director of Kodansha USA Ioannis Mentzas (awarded posthumously)
Princess Jellyfish and Tokyo Tarareba Girls mangaka Akiko Higashimura was also awarded with the American Manga Award of Distinction.
The 2025 American Manga Awards winners included: The winners included The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't a Guy at All, The Apothecary Diaries, Tamaki & Amane, Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow, The Otaku Love Connection, and Planetes Deluxe Edition.