Anime NYC and Japan Society have revealed the 30 nominees for the first American Manga Awards. The ceremony will be held on August 22 at the Japan Society in New York City, preceding the Anime NYC convention at the Jacob K. Javits Center from August 23-25.
These awards recognize excellence in Japanese comics, celebrating individuals who have made significant contributions to manga’s popularity in North America and Japan. They aim to honor outstanding manga creators, stories, and publishing professionals who bring manga to readers in the U.S. and Canada.
In addition to the nominees, Frederik L. Schodt, renowned translator and author of Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics (Kodansha), will be the first inductee into the American Manga Awards Hall of Fame.
Here is the complete list of nominees in all categories mentioned in PublishersWeekly.
Best New Manga
The Darwin Incident by Shun Umezawa
Kodansha
Editor: Daniel Joseph
Translator: Cat Anderson
Production: Grace Lu, Pei Ann and Eve Grandt
#DRCL Midnight Children by Shin’ichi Sakamoto, based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula
VIZ Media
Editor: Andrew Kuhre Bartosh
Translator: Caleb Cook
Lettering and touch-up: Brendon Hull
Just Like Mona Lisa by Tsumuji Yoshimura
Square Enix Manga & Books
Editor: Jennifer Sherman
Translator: Leo McDonagh
Lettering: Asher Caswell
Mothers by Kusahara Umi
Glacier Bay Books
Editor: emuh ruh
Translator: Jocelyne Allen
Lettering: Tim Sun
Soara and the House of MonstersI 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
Production: Risa Cho, Pei Ann Yeap, Evan Hayden
Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui
Yen Press
Editors: Abigail Blackman, Thomas McAlister
Translator: Taylor Engel
Lettering: Abigail Blackman
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, Shalini Arimilli
Translator: Caleb Cook
Lettering: Phil Christie
The Summer Hikaru Died by mokumokuren
Yen Press
Editors: Fortune Soleil, JuYoun Lee, Abigail Blackman
Translator: Ajani Oloye
Lettering: Abigail Blackman
Best New Edition of Classic Manga Series
Minami’s Lover by Shungiku Uchida
Fantagraphics
Editor: Kristy Valenti
Translator: H. Paige
Production: C. Hwang, Paul Baresh
My Name is Shingo by Kazuo Umezz
VIZ Media
Editor: Joel Enos
Translator: Jocelyne Allen
Adaptation: Molly Tanzer
Lettering: Evan Waldinger
Neighborhood Story by Ai Yazawa
VIZ Media
Editor: Karla Clark
Translator: Andria McKnight
Touch-up art/lettering: Michelle Pang
Okinawa by Susumu Higa
Fantagraphics
Editors: Andrew Woodrow-Butcher and Christopher Woodrow-Butcher
Translator: Jocelyne Allen
Lettering: Patrick Crotty, Kayla E.
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
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 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 Sze 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
for 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
Andrea Miller
cover design for Tokyo Aliens
by NAOE
Square Enix Manga & Books
Editor: Sarah Tangney
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