The Tokyo Anime Awards started in 2002, but was named in 2005. The first, second and third award ceremonies were simply named 'Competition'. The award ceremonies were held at the
Tokyo International Anime Fair
The Tokyo International Anime Fair also known as was one of the largest anime trade fairs in the world, held annually in Tokyo, Japan. The first event was held in 2002 as "Tokyo International Anime Fair 21". The event was held at Tokyo Big Sigh ...
(TAF) until 2013. In 2014, after the merger of the Tokyo International Anime Fair with the Anime Contents Expo and the formation of the
AnimeJapan
AnimeJapan is a Japanese anime consumer show held annually at the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center in Tokyo since March 2014. It was created from the merger of the Tokyo International Anime Fair with the Anime Contents Expo.
It is organized ...
convention, the Tokyo Anime Awards was changed into a separate festival called Tokyo Anime Awards Festival (TAAF).
Notably, there are ''Open Entry Awards'' for amateur creators (the Grand Prize winner is awarded with one million yen).Information about the awards at the 6th event (2007) Though there are ten main judges, the total number of judges is over one hundred people. Various groups participate in judging the festival, such as anime studio staff members, professors of universities, as well as producers and chief editors of various magazines. (''See also'': Animation Kobe).
Animation of the Year
All anime released from December 1 of the year before the festival to November 30 of the current year in Japan become candidates. The anime that best represents the category in which it was nominated will be chosen as the winner of that category.
In the first year of the celebration, the award was given to ''
Spirited Away
is a 2001 Japanese Anime film, animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It was produced by Toshio Suzuki, animated by Studio Ghibli, and distributed by Toho.Millennium Actress'' (film), '' Hanada Shōnen-shi'' (TV) and '' Sentō Yōsei Yukikaze'' (OVA)
Since 2014, the Tokyo Anime Award Festival has awarded a grand prize for anime of the year in two categories, film and television.
;Notes
:a. Anime of the Year Grand Prize for Best Picture
Anime Fan Award
Picking from over 300-400 titles from television and films, anime fans vote from the candidate pool to pick the best 100 from those titles, with 20 of these titles being films and 80 being television titles. Fans then participate in a runoff vote in order to determine a recipient amongst the 100 chosen titles for the Anime Fan Award.
Initial qualifications to become candidates required titles to have aired from November of the year before the festival to October of the current year in Japan. However, this has since been twice changed — first in 2017 to be from October to October, and again in 2020 to be from October to September.
Open Entries / Competition Grand Prize
The awards for the creator of the non-commercialized work for TV, movie and OVA, to find new talents and to provide support for subsequent commercialization. The work must be an animation longer than 15 seconds, and no longer than 30 minutes. If the work was not commercialized before, professional creator also can enter this Grand Prize.about open entry at the 6th event (2007) The 2007 winner, '' Flutter'', was the first work from a non-Asian country to win this award.
;Notes
:b. Best Entry Award in Amateur Category
:c. Best Entry Award in Student Category
:d. Competition Winning Programs
Notable Entry
The excellent works of the year are chosen according to each section.
Individual awards
The individual awards for the activities of the previous year.
Best Director
The awards for directors. Though this award does not limit to the directors of films, it has a tendency to be given to film directors.
Best Original Story
The awards for the original creators of the work. Founded in 2005.
Best Screenplay
The awards for
screenwriter
A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...
The awards for voice actors by their performance. Rumi Hiiragi (2002) and Chieko Baisho (2005) are more famous as actress in Japan.
Best Music
The awards for
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and def ...
s (and other music related people).
Best Animator
The awards for
animator
An animator is an artist who creates images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video games. Animat ...
Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film
The Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film is a Golden Globe Award category that was awarded for the first time at the 64th Golden Globe Awards in 2007. It was the first time that the Golden Globe Awards had created a separate categor ...
Crunchyroll Anime Awards
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards, also known simply as The Anime Awards, are awards given annually by the anime streaming service Crunchyroll to recognize the best anime of the previous year. Announced in December 2016, the awards were first prese ...