American Manga Awards 2025 Unveils Full Nominees List Ahead of Anime NYC

2024 saw the inaugural American Manga Awards, powered by Crunchyroll. There are several categories, and the winners and nominees are selected through votes from working professionals in the manga field, as well as a chosen committee consisting of five subject matter experts. DRCL Midnight Children by Shin’ichi Sakamoto won the Best New Manga, while Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui won the Best Continuing Manga Series in 2024.

The 2nd Annual American Manga Awards is an invitation-only program, scheduled to take place during Anime NYC from August 21-24, 2025, at the Japan Society in New York.

On July 17, 2025, the nominees of all seven categories were revealed, along with the announcement that the 2025 Manga Publishing Hall of Fame Award will be presented to Studio Proteus, known for Ghost in the Shell. The voting lines will be open from Monday, July 21, 2025, at 5:00 pm ET to Thursday, July 24, 2025, at 5:00 pm ET.

Manga professionals working in manga publishing can only vote by registering themselves on the official site of the American Manga Awards. The registration window closes on Monday, July 21, 2025, 5:00 pm ET.

Here is a list presenting all the nominees of the respective categories.

1. Best New Manga

• Hikaru in the Light! Volume 1
  Creator: Mai Matsuda
  Publisher: Scholastic Graphix/Azuki

• Dragon and Chameleon Volume 1
  Creator: Ryo Ishiyama
  Publisher: Square Enix Manga & Books

• The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy At All Volume 1
  Creator: Sumiko Arai
  Publisher:: Yen Press

• Spacewalking With You Volume 1
  Creator: Inuhiko Doronoda
  Publisher: Kodansha USA

• A Witch’s Life in Mongol Volume 1
  Creator: Tomato Soup
  Publisher: Yen Press

2. Best Continuing Series

• The Summer Hikaru Died Volume 5
  Creator: Mokumokuren
  Publisher: Yen Press

• Innocent Omnibus Volume 3
  Creator: Shin’ichi Sakamoto
  Publisher: Dark Horse

• Search and Destroy Volume 2
  Creator: Atsushi Kaneko
  Publisher: MSX/Fantagraphics

• The Apothecary Diaries Volume 12-13
  Creator: Natsu Hyuuga, Nekokurage & Itsuki Nanao
  Publisher: Square Enix Manga & Books

• Hirayasumi Volumes 3–5
  Creator: Keigo Shinzo
  Publisher: Viz Media

3. Best One-Shot Manga

• H.P. Lovecraft’s The Colour Out of Space
  Creator: Gou Tanabe
  Publisher: Dark Horse

• Brain Damage
  Creator: Shintaro Kago
  Publisher: Fantagraphics

• A Smart and Courageous Child
  Creator: Miki Yamamoto
  Publisher: TOKYOPOP

• Tamaki and Amane
  Creator: Fumi Yoshinaga
  Publisher: Yen Press

• Stardust Family
  Creator: Aki Poroyama
  Publisher: Yen Press

4. Best New Edition of Classic Manga

• They Were 11!
  Creator: Moto Hagio
  Publisher: Denpa Books

• Short Game
  Creator: Mitsuru Adachi
  Publisher: Denpa Books

• Mansect
  Creator: Koga Shinichi
  Publisher: Living the Line/Smudge

• The Legend of Kamui Volume 1
  Creator: Sanpei Shirato
  Publisher: Drawn & Quarterly

• Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow Volumes 1-2
  Creator: Asao Takamori & Tetsuya Chiba
  Publisher: Kodansha USA

5. Best Lettering

• Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow Volumes 1-2
  Creator: Asao Takamori & Tetsuya Chiba
  Publisher: Kodansha USA
  Lettering: Evan Hayden

• Cat Man
  Creator: Parari
  Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment
  Lettering: Rebecca Sze

• Love Laid Bare
  Creator: Ouchi Kaeru
  Publisher: FAKKU
  Lettering: Robert Harkins

• My Tiny Senpai Volume 1
  Creator: Saisou
  Publisher: J-Novel Club
  Lettering: Joven Voon

• Search and Destroy Volume 2
  Creator: Atsushi Kaneko
  Publisher: Fantagraphics/MSX
  Lettering: Phil Christie

6. Best Translation

• Otaku Love Connection Volume 1
  Creator: Chu Amairo
  Publisher: Square Enix Manga & Books
  Translator: minami

• FaceMeat
  Creator: Bonten Taro
  Publisher: Living the Line/Smudge
  Translator: Ryan Holmberg

• Search and Destroy Volume 2
  Creator: Atsushi Kaneko
  Publisher: Fantagraphics/MSX
  Translator: Ben Applegate

• UltraHeaven Volume 1
  Creator: Keiichi Koike
  Publisher: Last Gasp
  Translator: Ajani Oloye

• The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant Volume 1
  Creator: Mizugaki Egao & others
  Publisher: Blue Feathered Quill Publishing
  Translator: Andreas Kronborg Danielsen

7. Best Publication Design

• The Legend of Kamui Volume 1
  Creator: Sanpei Shirato
  Publisher: Drawn & Quaterly
  Design:Tom Devlin, Lucia Gargiulo

• Planetes Deluxe Edition Book 1
  Creator: Makoto Yukimura
  Publisher: Dark Horse
  Design: Carl Gustav Horn, Riley VanDyke

• Seaside Beta
  Creator: ohuton
  Publisher: Glacier Bay Books
  Design: emuh ruh

• Veil Volume 1
  Creator: Kotteri
  Publisher: Udon Entertainment/MSX
  Design: Kohei Nawada Design Office

• JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure – Part 7: Steel Ball Run Volume 1
  Creator: Hirohiko Araki
  Publisher: VIZ Media
  Design: Adam Grano

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Also Read: Kiko Urino’s Alice, Even in Space Wins 2025 Manga Taisho Award

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Source: AnimeNYC – American Manga Awards