"IRIS OUT" is the first-ever anime song to be submitted to the Grammys.
Forbes has confirmed the nomination submission list for the 2027 iteration of the illustrious Grammy Awards (Grammys), confirming that Chainsaw Man the Movie: Reze Arc's theme song, Kenshi Yonezu's “IRIS OUT” has been submitted for consideration.
First-round voting for the 2027 Grammy Awards will run from 12 October to 22 October, with official nominees set to be revealed on 16 November, 2026.
What categories for the 2027 Grammys was Kenshi Yonezu's IRIS OUT submitted to?
According to Forbes, Yonezu submitted “IRIS OUT” in two categories: Best Asian Pop Music Performance, and Best Song Written for Visual Media.
“IRIS OUT” is the first-ever anime theme song to be officially submitted for consideration at the Grammy Awards, a historic achievement in and of itself for the popular Japanese medium.
However, it is important to note that a submission is not an official nomination. Fans will have to wait until 16 November to see if “IRIS OUT” survives the voting period to be officially part of the running list for the 2027 Grammy Awards.
Who is Kenshi Yonezu?
Kenshi Yonezu is a Japanese singer-songwriter, musician, producer, and illustrator. He began his music career through releasing Vocaloid music under the stage name Hachi in 2009, before officially debuting under his real name and voice in 2012. He would later go on to make theme songs for anime titles March Comes in Like a Lion, My Hero Academia, Fireworks, and Children of the Sea.
Although Vocaloid and Anime do intersect, Yonezu would rise to critical global acclaim with “Kick Back”, Chainsaw Man's iconic opening theme song for its first season, which premiered in 2022. The song would later on earn a number of accolades, and peak at a number of music charts around the globe. The song has been certified by Japan's RIAJ (Recording Industry Association of Japan) at Diamond for Streaming, and by America's RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) at Platinum for certified units and sales.
Yonezu would return to Chainsaw Man in 2025 at the release of “Chainsaw Man the Movie: Reze Arc”, a sequel film following right after the events of Season 1, to perform both its opening theme song, “IRIS OUT”, and ending, theme song “JANE DOE”. “JANE DOE” was performed with Japanese-American singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada.
What is Chainsaw Man the Movie: Reze Arc about?
Chainsaw Man The Movie: Reze Arc premiered in Japan on 19 September, 2025. By the end of the year, it surpassed JP¥ 10 billion in domestic earnings. Tatsuya Yoshihara directed the film at MAPPA, while Hiroshi Seko wrote the screenplay.
The cast of the Reze Movie includes:
- Kikunosuke Toya as Denji
- Shiori Izawa as Pochita
- Tomori Kusunoki as Makima
- Shogo Sakata as Aki
- Fairouz Ai as Power
- Karin Takahashi as Kobeni
- Natsuki Hanae as Beam
- Yuuya Uchida as The Violence Fiend
- Maaya Uchida as Angel Devil
- Reina Ueda as Reze
MAPPA also announced that a second season of the beloved Chainsaw Man anime is already in the works.
The Chainsaw Man anime is based on Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga series of the same name. The manga ended just this year with Chapter 232. Viz Media publishes the manga in English, and describes the story as:
Denji’s a poor young man who’ll do anything for money, even hunting down devils with his pet devil Pochita. He’s a simple man with simple dreams, drowning under a mountain of debt. But his sad life gets turned upside down one day when he’s betrayed by someone he trusts. Now with the power of a devil inside him, Denji’s become a whole new man—Chainsaw Man!