Kadokawa Corporation and Dwango announced the winners of the Next Manga Awards 2026 during a live presentation broadcast on Niconico on September 16, 2026. Readers cast a staggering 382,581 votes across two competitive categories to elevate emerging storytelling talent into national prominence [4]. Out of 7,952 eligible submissions, publisher Shueisha swept both primary divisions as Ei Yamano’s Someone Hertz captured first place in print comics while Taiyo Watabe’s Home at the Horizon led the web manga ballot [1].
Next Manga Awards Print Category Winners
In the flagship Comics Category, Ei Yamano’s romantic comedy Someone Hertz took the crown with 51,868 points, establishing an insurmountable lead over thousands of participating nominees [1]. Published by Shueisha, the ongoing series has captivated domestic audiences through its serialized chapters in Weekly Shonen Jump as well as worldwide readers accessing translated digital releases on MangaPlus [2]. The title combines school life with amateur broadcasting.
Competition behind the frontrunner proved equally fierce as Shogakukan secured both remaining podium positions [3]. Sakane Toyobayashi earned second place with Futari Bus, collecting 37,882 points for a tender adolescent narrative revolving around two students connecting across daily bus commutes. Shortly behind, Fujimaru’s Regista! claimed third place with 22,621 points [1]. It depicts suburban counter clerks navigating unexpected youthful setbacks.
Shogakukan demonstrated exceptional editorial strength throughout the physical voting, claiming five of the top ten rankings in the print classification. Tsubasa Fukuchi’s Parashoppers secured fourth place, while Kazuhiro Fujita’s dark action adventure Silver Mountain earned fifth position among veteran creators. Soichiro Yamamoto placed sixth with Mane Mane Nichinichi (Baseball Manager Everyday), followed by Akira Moriguchi’s Yamero Suki ni Natte Shimau at seventh, Daisuke Hagiwara’s Koi to Yobu ni wa Sasayaka desu ga at eighth, Atsushi Nakamura’s Roku no Okashina Ie at ninth, and Zurikishi’s Shacho to Sake to Hoshi rounding out the top ten [3].
The top three winners now enter the permanent Hall of Fame [4]. They become ineligible for future awards.
Ei Yamano Celebrates Radio Comedy Victory
Why did a story about midnight radio capture so many readers? The appeal of Someone Hertz stems from its intimate focus on amateur comedy contributors, known within Japanese broadcasting culture as postcard craftsmen (hagaki shokunin) [3]. High school protagonists Mimei Fukumori and Kurage Mizuo listen religiously to a late-night program called ‘Monday Midnight Talking’ [2]. While Kurage regularly hears her submissions broadcast under the pseudonym ‘Unagi Potato,’ Mimei struggles through constant rejections before discovering that his quiet classmate is the revered contributor he admires [3].
Ei Yamano began serializing the manga on September 14, 2025, reaching its 50th chapter milestone just as the awards were announced [2]. Reacting to the grand prize, Yamano expressed overwhelming gratitude during the official broadcast. ‘I am so happy! Thank you so much!’ Yamano wrote, noting that five years had passed since first conceiving a story dedicated to late-night radio culture. The creator added: ‘I never imagined the day would come when I would receive an award like this… I hope you will continue to warmly follow Kurage and Mimei’s Radio Days!’ [1]
Fellow podium honorees echoed that gratitude toward their creative collaborators and supporters. Runner-up Sakane Toyobayashi thanked assistants and editorial staff for helping maintain weekly deadlines, expressing hope that the Next Manga Awards showcase would encourage new readers to explore Futari Bus. Third-place mangaka Fujimaru admitted surprise over the recognition, describing Regista! as a modest narrative that found unexpected resonance among everyday manga enthusiasts [1]. Creative momentum matters.
Home at the Horizon Tops Web Voting
The digital side of the competition revealed equally intense reader passion as Taiyo Watabe’s Home at the Horizon (Okaeri Suiheisen) finished first in the Web Manga Category with 51,681 points [1]. Serialized on Shueisha’s digital platform Shonen Jump+ since March 22, 2025, the story centers on high schooler Ryoma Kakiuchi [2]. Ryoma manages a traditional public bathhouse in a coastal town with his aging grandfather. His routine changes when a determined boy named Reo Shibasaki appears unannounced, claiming to be the illegitimate son of Ryoma’s father, Tatsuomi [6].
Working together at the bathhouse, the estranged half-brothers gradually construct an enduring familial connection [2]. The series has developed substantial critical prestige over the past year. In March 2026, the manga earned 54 points to secure fourth place in the prestigious Manga Taisho 2026 balloting, demonstrating rare consensus among volunteer bookstore judges and digital consumers alike [5]. That crossover appeal carried Watabe to victory.
In his post-announcement statement, Watabe confessed that severe insecurity plagued the launch of the project. ‘I remember crying my eyes out the night the first chapter was released, realizing once again just how clumsy my manga was,’ Watabe explained, noting that persistent reader feedback gave him strength to continue [1]. Second place went to Tomohiro Yagi’s Hitona with 48,327 points, chronicling an Earthling’s arrival on a world populated by beastkin called Kemo [6]. Sumu Kamiyama’s Senpai Haimiya Is Scary and Cute finished third with 45,281 points [1].
Special Partner Prizes and Publisher Standings
Corporate partners introduced several specialty accolades to highlight titles displaying distinct commercial and cross-media promise. Yoshida’s baseball manga Dig It, published by Kodansha, secured the U-NEXT Award in the Comics Category. In the digital sphere, Hakuri’s WITCHRIV, published by Shueisha, took the corresponding U-NEXT Award for web serialization. Streaming distributor U-NEXT announced a commemorative campaign running through September 30, 2026, granting subscribers expanded free reading previews across both winning titles and top-twenty finalists from each category [1].
Other corporate honors celebrated innovative cross-genre collaborations. Boundary Melody (Melody of the Boundary) received the Nichirei Frozen Foods Award. Created by original writer Toshiya Miyata with illustrations by Ikura Sugimoto and character designs by LAM, the Kadokawa series blends musical ambition with youth drama [3]. Meanwhile, Shueisha’s fantasy comedy The Plain-Looking Middle-Aged Man Was Actually a Hero, crafted by Mikawa Ghost, Yuki Konno, Akira Yuki, and Mizuiro Raika, claimed the Niconico Manga Award [1]. It satirizes dungeon livestreaming tropes.
Industry scouts track these corporate citations closely as Japanese publishing expands global distribution channels. While specialized niches thrive through initiatives like Takeshobo’s digital English manga releases, the Next Manga Awards spotlight titles built for broader demographic appeal across international markets. Early recognition frequently provides the creative springboard needed for studio adaptations, mirroring how emerging manga concepts evolve into larger multimedia ventures such as The Dark Machine multimedia manga project [4]. Commercial momentum builds rapidly.
Bookstore Fair Launches Across Japan
To translate online enthusiasm into retail foot traffic, Kadokawa and Dwango launched a nationwide promotional campaign across approximately 2,000 participating brick-and-mortar bookstores starting September 17, 2026 [3]. Customers who purchase physical volumes of either grand prize winner, Someone Hertz or Home at the Horizon, receive exclusive commemorative illustration cards designed specifically by the mangaka for the event [1]. The campaign represents a crucial sales catalyst for newly serialized works, because eligible entries must have commenced publication within the preceding calendar year or possess no more than five collected tankōbon volumes on retail shelves [4]. By concentrating promotional resources in physical storefronts immediately after the broadcast, organizers ensure that burgeoning digital fandom directly supports independent booksellers throughout Japan [1].
Historical precedent underlines the extraordinary predictive power of the Next Manga Awards ballot. Founded in October 2014 by Da Vinci magazine and Niconico, the event has repeatedly identified future cultural touchstones years before their television debuts. Landmark past champions include My Hero Academia during the inaugural 2015 edition, Kaguya-sama: Love is War in 2017, SPY×FAMILY in 2019, Kaiju No. 8 in 2021, and Kagurabachi in 2024. How many rising creators will join those ranks? The voting record demonstrates that reader-backed picks consistently dominate global entertainment charts [7].
With international fans voting through English web portals since 2021, overseas anticipation for both winning titles continues to mount [7]. Although physical volumes have not yet been scheduled for North American bookstore shelves, readers worldwide can read weekly digital installments on MangaPlus. Chapter 33 of Home at the Horizon drops on September 26, while chapter 50 of Someone Hertz arrives on September 27 [2]. Both serializations are worth following.
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- WEBSITE Wikipedia contributors. (2021, July 20). Next Manga Award. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. [Article Link]
