Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025: Who’s Leading the Race This Year?

All fans can agree on one thing—past year was incredible for anime. Which means it's time for Crunchyroll Anime Awards to be back, and fans around the world are already casting their daily votes! The 2025 ceremony will be held in Tokyo on May 25, and yes, there will be a global livestream so everyone can tune in. Voting is open until April 14, giving fans plenty of time to support their favorites.

This year’s lineup is absolutely stacked with popular titles and breakout hits across all genres. From supernatural chaos to heartfelt fantasy, it’s been an incredible year for anime lovers. The star-studded list of presenters includes Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, Dean Fujioka, Ironmouse, Rina Sawayama, Gigguk, and even Plastique Tiara. Anime is mainstream, and this global guest list proves it.

Who’s the Front Runner?

Let’s be honest—Dandadan is making serious waves this year. The series snagged 13 nominations, including Anime of the Year, Best Animation, Best Main Character (Okarun & Momo), Best Director, Best Score, and even Best Opening & Ending Sequences. With nominations across major categories, it's safe to say Dandadan is a front-runner.

• Frieren: Beyond Journey's End – This beautiful fantasy series racked up nods for Anime of the Year, Best Drama, Best Main Character, Best Score, and several more. Fans love its emotional storytelling and deep character work.

• Solo Leveling – A fan favorite in the action department. It's nominated for Anime of the Year, Best Action, Best Animation, and has a killer OP with TXT & Sawano. Definitely a heavyweight.

• The Apothecary Diaries – Quietly dominating categories like Best Drama, Best Main Character, and Best Character Design. This show blends mystery, history, and heart.

• Kaiju No. 8 – The monster-hunting series made it into the big leagues too, with nominations in action, animation, and anime of the year.

More about this topic on Anime News Network.

New Titles That Have a Chance For a Reward?

This year also saw some exciting new faces:

• Delicious in Dungeon – One of the breakout comedies of the year, this show’s charming characters and dungeon-crawling recipes earned it nominations for Best Comedy, Best New Series, and more.

• Train to the End of the World and Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night – These original anime have captured attention in the Best Original Anime category.

• My Deer Friend Nokotan – One of the quirkiest shows of the year, up for Best Comedy and Best Slice of Life.

The Fandom Factor Is Huge For These Awards

Fan voting plays a huge role here. With daily voting allowed until April 14, passionate fandoms can make all the difference. Oshi no Ko, One Piece, Demon Slayer, and Bleach all have huge fanbases and multiple nominations, so expect tight races in categories like Best Continuing Series and Best Action. 

Right now, Dandadan feels like the one to beat. It checks all the boxes—stellar animation, wild action, heartfelt moments, and characters you can't help but root for (or fear, hello Turbo Granny). But Frieren could be the emotional underdog that sweeps, and Solo Leveling’s high-intensity action and global hype could take it all.

No matter who wins, this year’s Crunchyroll Anime Awards are shaping up to be one of the most exciting yet.

You can cast your vote HERE.