50th Kodansha Manga Awards Nominees Announced: The Race Begins!

Excitement is at its peak in the manga world! The official nominee list for the prestigious Kodansha Manga Awards, which will be held for the 50th time this year, has been released. A total of 13 works competing in three main categories are counting down the days to be named the best in the industry. In particular, the The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity (Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku) series being nominated for the fourth consecutive time has once again proven the series' consistency and impact on readers.

The competition in the Best Shonen Manga category looks quite fierce. In addition to Saka Mikami's The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity, Ichi the Witch (Majo no Ichi), born from the partnership of Osamu Nishi (author of Iruma-kun) and Shiro Usazaki (artist of Act-Age), is also on the list. Furthermore, Kei Urana's popular series Gachiakuta stands out as one of the strong contenders in this category.

In the Best Shojo Manga category, Kazune Kawahara's (author of My Love Story!!) emotional work A Star Brighter Than the Sun (Taiyou yori Mabushii Hoshi) takes the lead. In the general category, Nene Azuki's Mii-chan and Yamada-san (Mii-chan wa Yamada-san), which made a huge splash on social media and is known for its dark themes, will compete. This year's nominees celebrate the holistic success of the manga industry by covering not only Kodansha publications but also works from other giant publishers such as Shueisha and Shogakukan.

Held since 1977, the Kodansha Manga Awards are considered one of the oldest and most respected award ceremonies in Japan. This award, which has been won by legends such as Akira, Sailor Moon, and Attack on Titan in the past, plays a major role in a series reaching cult status. The winners are expected to be announced on May 11, 2026; we will continue to follow the developments closely.