Anime NYC and Japan Society announced today the 30 nominees for the inaugural American Manga Awards, set to take place on August 22, 2024, at the historic Japan Society in New York City. This event will precede this year’s Anime NYC convention, the largest Japanese pop culture event on the East Coast, which expects to draw over 100,000 fans of anime and manga from all over the world to the Jacob K. Javits Center in midtown Manhattan from August 23 – 25, 2024.
The American Manga Awards celebrates outstanding achievements in the world of Japanese comics, honoring professionals who have significantly contributed to manga’s popularity in both North America and Japan. These awards aim to elevate outstanding manga creators, great manga stories, and the publishing professionals who make these stories accessible to readers in the US and Canada.
The American Manga Awards Hall of Fame will honor Japanese manga creators and publishing professionals who have made significant contributions to the growth and popularity of manga in America. The first recipient of the Manga Publishing Hall of Fame award will be Frederik L. Schodt, translator and author of Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics (Kodansha), one of the first English-language books that introduced readers to manga’s history, creativity, and legendary creators.
In addition to the Hall of Fame honorees, who are selected by the American Manga Awards committee, the nominees for the other awards were selected by subject matter experts in manga, Japanese-to-English translation, lettering, and publication design. Five nominees were selected in each of these six categories: Best New Manga, Best Continuing Manga Series, Best New Edition of Classic Manga, Best Translation, Best Lettering, and Best Publication Design.
In this inaugural year, the American Manga Awards received over 200 entries from 29 different publishers. Publishers were allowed to submit up to 3 titles per category for consideration, and judges were also able to nominate individual titles that they felt were noteworthy.
“I’m so proud of our judges for the care and thought they put into selecting the nominees for the manga, translation, lettering, and publication design categories,” said American Manga Awards committee chair Deb Aoki. “The judges picked titles that they felt were great examples of storytelling and design from publishers big and small. These nominations include a mix of familiar, best-selling titles alongside new or under-appreciated gems that will surprise and delight almost every manga reader.”
The nominees, plus cover art and credits are listed on the American Manga Awards website.
The winners will be determined by votes from professionals working in an editorial capacity with North American (US/Canada) manga publishers, who have either registered to vote via the American Manga Awards website or have been invited by the American Manga Awards Planning Committee. Voting will not be open to the general public.
Voter registration for the American Manga Awards is open now until July 27. All who are involved in manga publishing in Japan, the US or Canada are welcome to register to vote, with detailed guidelines for eligibility and voting procedures available on Anime NYC’s website. Approved voters will receive an email with voting instructions shortly after registering.
The nominees for the 2024 American Manga Awards are:
Best New Manga
- The Darwin Incident
by Shun Umezawa
Kodansha
Editor: Daniel Joseph
Translator: Cat Anderson - #DRCL midnight children
by Shin’ichi Sakamoto, based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula
VIZ Media
Editor: Andrew Kuhre Bartosh
Translator: Caleb Cook - Just Like Mona Lisa
by Tsumuji Yoshimura
Square Enix Manga & Books
Editor: Jennifer Sherman
Translator: Leo McDonagh - Mothers
by Kusahara Umi
Glacier Bay Books
Editor: emuh ruh
Translator: Jocelyne Allen
Lettering: Tim Sun - Soara and the House of Monsters
by Hidenori Yamaji
Seven Seas Entertainment
Editor: Shanti Whitesides
Translator: Ben Trethewey
Lettering: Mercedes McGarry
Best Continuing Manga Series
- Blood on the Tracks
by Shuzo Oshimi
Kodansha / Vertical
Editor: Daniel Joseph
Translator: Daniel Komen - Delicious in Dungeon
by Ryoko Kui
Yen Press
Editors: Abigail Blackman, Thomas McAlister
Translator: Taylor Engel - Dinosaur Sanctuary
by Itaru Kinoshita
Seven Seas Entertainment
Editor: Linda Lombardi
Translation: John Neal
Lettering: JM Iitomi Crandall - She Loves to Cook, She Loves to Eat
by Sakomi Yuzaki
Yen Press
Editors: Won Young Seo, Carl Li
Translator: Caleb Cook - The Summer Hikaru Died
by mokumokuren
Yen Press
Editors: Fortune Soleil, JuYoun Lee, Abigail Blackman
Translator: Ajani Oloye
Best New Edition of Classic Manga Series
- Minami’s Lover
by Shungiku Uchida
Fantagraphics
Editor: Kristy Valenti
Translator: H. Paige - My Name is Shingo
by Kazuo Umezz
VIZ Media
Editor: Joel Enos
Translator: Jocelyne Allen
Adaptation: Molly Tanzer - Neighborhood Story
by Ai Yazawa
VIZ Media
Editor: Karla Clark
Translator: Andria McKnight - Okinawa
by Susumu Higa
Fantagraphics
Editor: Andrew Woodrow-Butcher
Translator: Jocelyne Allen - UFO Mushroom Invasion
by Marina Shirakawa
Living the Line / Smudge
Editor: Ryan Holmberg
Translator: Ryan Holmberg
Best Translation
- Stephen Paul
translation for Akane-banashi
by Yuki Suenaga and Takamasa Moue
VIZ Media
Editor: Rae First - John Neal
translation for Bocchi the Rock!
by Aki Hamaji
Yen Press
Editor: Thomas McAlister - David Evelyn
translation for Doll-Kara
by Kazuyoshi Ishii, Hanamura, and Kei Ryuzoji
J-Novel Club
Editor: Zubonjin - Kevin Steinbach
translation for Issak
by Shinji Makari and DOUBLE–S and Shinji Makari
Kodansha
Editor: Sage Einarsen - Stephen Kohler
translation for Witch Hat Atelier
by Kamome Shirahama
Kodansha
Editor: Haruko Hashimoto
Best Lettering
- Tomoko Saito
lettering and retouch for Blade of the Immortal Deluxe Edition Volume 10
by Hiroaki Samura
Dark Horse
Editor: Philip R. Simon Deluxe Edition Associate Editor: Judy Khuu - Phil Christie
lettering and retouch for Search & Destroy Vol. 1
by Atsushi Kaneko, based on Dororo by Osamu Tezuka
Fantagraphics
Editors: Christopher Woodrow-Butcher, Eric Reynolds - Vadim K.
lettering for They’ll Make a Man Out of You [18+ adult content]
by Shiwasu no Okina
J18 Publishing
Editors: Dave Adams, David Goldberg - Lys Blakeslee
lettering for Witch Hat Atelier
by Kamome Shirahama
Kodansha
Editor: Haruko Hashimoto - Rebecca S.
lettering for Tokyo Interstellar Immigration vol. 3
by Mado Guchimoto
VAST Visual
Editors: Dave Adams, David Goldberg
Best Publication Design
- Phil Balsman
design for Initial D Omnibus
by Shuichi Shigeno
Kodansha
Editor: Maggie Le - Nicky Lim, cover design and Karis Page, lettering and interior design
My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness: Special Edition
by Nagata Kabi
Seven Seas Entertainment
Editor: Jenn Grunigen
Translation: Jocelyn Allen - Adam Grano
design for My Name Is Shingo
by Kazuo Umezz
VIZ Media
Editor: Joel Enos - Nicky Lim and Sandy Grayson
box set design for Orange Complete Box Set
by Ichigo Takano
Seven Seas Entertainment
Editor: Shannon Fay
Lettering: Lys Blakeslee - Andrea Miller
cover design for Tokyo Aliens
by NAOE
Square Enix Manga & Books
Editor: Sarah TangneyLettering: Bianca Pistillo
Nominees have been selected by a distinguished panel of experts in the world of Japanese comics, including journalists, librarians, translators, lettering and design professionals.
Best New Manga, Best Continuing Manga and Best New Edition of Classic Manga nominees were picked by comics journalists Brigid Alverson (ICv2, School Library Journal), Lynzee Loveridge (Anime News Network), Shaennon Garrity (Otaku USA, Publishers Weekly), Minovsky (@MinovskyArticle on X/Twitter), and New York Public Library Senior Librarian – Young Adult Services, Renee Scott.
Best Translation nominees were selected by translators and authors Matt Alt (author of Pure Invention: How Japan’s Pop Culture Influenced the World) and Hiroko Yoda (co-author of Yokai Attack! and author of the upcoming Eight Million Ways to Happiness).
Best Lettering nominees were chosen by comics lettering pros Tom Orzechowski (Uncanny X-Men, Marvel Comics) and Nate Piekos (Blambot font foundry, and author of The Essential Guide to Comics Lettering). Piekos also co-designed the American Manga Awards logo.
Best Publication Design nominees were selected by Kinokuniya Bookstores East Coast Regional Manager Shigekazu Watanabe and publication designer Sasha Head.
The ceremony will be hosted by accomplished author, translator, and presenter Matt Alt, and will take place at Japan Society’s landmarked headquarters located at 333 East 47th Street. This event is invite-only, exclusively for manga industry professionals and press.
The American Manga Awards will coincide with Anime NYC’s annual convention (August 23-25 at the Jacob K. Javits Center), which will feature major manga publishers and retailers including Kinokuniya, Kodansha USA Publishing, Penguin Random House, Seven Seas Entertainment, VIZ Media, and Yen Press.
For more information about the American Manga Awards and to stay updated on the latest announcements, please visit www.animenyc.com/americanmangaawards and follow Anime NYC, the American Manga Awards, and Japan Society on social media.