The American Manga Awards have officially unveiled the list of nominees for their 2025 edition, highlighting some of the most celebrated manga titles and industry professionals across North America. With the ceremony set for August 21 at the Japan Society in Manhattan, this year’s event will be held in collaboration with Anime NYC, one of the largest anime fan gatherings in the country. The festival is expected to draw more than one lakh attendees to the Jacob K. Javits Center from August 21 to 24.
Among the standout nominees are JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run, Ashita no Joe, and The Apothecary Diaries, featured across various competitive categories including Best New Manga, Best Continuing Series, Best One Shot Manga, Best New Edition of Classic Manga, Best Translation, Best Lettering, and Best Publication Design. The awards aim to recognize the wide spectrum of talent involved in bringing Japanese manga to readers across the United States and Canada.
The Best New Manga category this year shines a spotlight on fresh voices, with titles like Hikaru in the Light and The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All. In the Best Continuing Series category, fan favorites such as The Summer Hikaru Died and The Apothecary Diaries have secured nominations, reflecting the continued global fascination with character driven storytelling and genre innovation.
One of the most buzzed about nominations comes in the Best New Edition of Classic Manga category. Ashita no Joe has earned critical recognition for its newly released Fighting for Tomorrow volumes, while Moto Hagio’s They Were 11! and Mitsuru Adachi’s Short Game also secured nods for their masterful reintroductions to modern readers.
The awards also highlight technical artistry through categories like Best Lettering and Best Translation. The lettering for Ashita no Joe and Search and Destroy was recognized, alongside standout translations for titles like Ultra Heaven and Face Meat. The publication design segment brings forward visually distinct works such as Seaside Beta and Planetes Deluxe Edition, emphasizing the vital role of aesthetic presentation in the reading experience.
This year’s Hall of Fame inductee is Studio Proteus, a legendary name credited with introducing Western audiences to iconic series such as Ghost in the Shell, Blade of the Immortal, and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Their inclusion marks a significant nod to the pioneers who helped bridge Eastern storytelling with global readership.
Over 375 entries were submitted for consideration across all categories from more than 30 publishers. Each publisher was allowed a maximum of three submissions per category. Final winners will be determined by a panel of editorial professionals from the manga publishing industry in North America and Japan. Voter registration remains open until July 21, with the final round of voting concluding on July 24.
Committee chair Deb Aoki remarked that the awards are designed to celebrate every step of the manga creation and adaptation process, from debut authors to seasoned translators, editors, designers, and letterers. She noted the significance of honoring the collaborative chain that makes manga so impactful for English language readers.
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