2025 American Manga Award winners announced

Dark Horse’s Car Horn accepting his award for best translation

The winners of the 2025 American Manga Awards were announced at a ceremony at New York’s Japan Society last night. Hosted by Matt Alt, the evening saw a variety of presenters and acceptance speeches by both US and Japanese creators involved. Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow, by Asao Takamori and Tetsuya Chiba (Kodansha) the immensely important historical manga, won two awards, one for Best Edition of Classic Manga and one for best lettering. 

The winners at the 2025 American Manga Awards

And the winners are (Winners in bold) 

BEST NEW MANGA
Dragon and Chameleon, vol. 1
**The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy at All, vol. 1
Hikaru in the Light!, vol. 1
Spacewalking With You, vol. 1
A Witch’s Life in Mongol, vol. 1
 
BEST CONTINUING MANGA SERIES
***The Apothecary Diaries (Manga), vol. 12 – 13
Hirayasumi, vol. 3 – 5
Innocent, Omnibus Edition, vol. 3
Search and Destroy, vol. 2
The Summer Hikaru Died, vol. 5
 
BEST ONE-SHOT MANGA
Brain Damage
H.P. Lovecraft’s The Colour Out of Space
A Smart and Courageous Child
Stardust Family
***Tamaki & Amane
 
BEST NEW EDITION OF CLASSIC MANGA
***Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow, vol. 1 – 2
The Legend of Kamui, vol. 1
Mansect
Short Game
They Were 11!
 
BEST TRANSLATION
Ryan Holmberg – Face Meat
***minami – The Otaku Love Connection, vol. 1
Ben Applegate – Search and Destroy, vol. 2
Andreas Kronberg Danielsen – The Tale of Jiraiya the Gallant, vol. 1
Ajani Oloye – Ultra Heaven, vol. 1
 
BEST LETTERING
***Evan Hayden – Ashita no Joe: Fighting for Tomorrow, vol. 1 – 2
Rebecca Sze – Cat Man
Robert Harkins – Love Laid Bare
Joven Voon – My Tiny Senpai, vol. 1
Phil Christie – Search and Destroy, vol. 2
 
BEST PUBLICATION DESIGN
Adam Grano – JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure – Part 7: Steel Ball Run, vol. 1
Lucia Gargiulo & Tom Devlin – The Legend of Kamui, vol. 1
***Riley VanDyke & Carl Gustav Horn – Planetes Deluxe Edition, Book 1
emuh ruh – Seaside Beta
Kohei Nawata Design Office – Veil, vol. 1 – Temperature of Orange

In addition, The Hall of Fame awards was given to Studio Proteus, the groundbreaking packaging company that introduced manga classics such as Outlanders and Nausicaä if the Valley Wind to the US. Spotlighting founder Toren Smith, the tribute was a moving look back at the crucial early years of manga publishing in the US. Studio Proteus letterer/retouch artist Tom Orzechowski was on hand to accept the award. 

American Manga Awards administrator Deb Aoki and Tom Orzechowski

Photos by Heidi MacDonald