K-pop Artist BamBam, Contemporary Musician Ethan Bortnick, K-pop Singer and Dancer TEN, GRAMMY-nominated Recording Artist Young Miko to Honor Anime’s Best at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards.
Crunchyroll has unveiled an exciting new lineup of celebrity presenters for the tenth annual Crunchyroll Anime Awards in Tokyo. Joining the star-studded event are Thai K-pop artist BamBam, contemporary musician Ethan Bortnick, Thai K-pop singer and dancer TEN, and GRAMMY-nominated recording artist from Puerto Rico, Young Miko.
These global artists join a growing lineup of celebrity anime-fan presenters shaped by anime’s influence on culture and creativity worldwide. This impressive roster includes Asuka Saito, RZA, Rashmika Mandanna, The Weeknd, Winston Duke, and more.
NEW PRESENTERS
The newly announced presenters are listed below:
- BamBam—Thai-born rapper of K-pop’s leading boy idol group GOT7. Since 2021, BamBam has been actively expanding his career as a solo artist, showcasing various facets of his artistry, including his cheerful vocals that were not fully highlighted during his time in GOT7.
- Ethan Bortnick—Contemporary musician, pianist, and songwriter blending classical roots with a modern sound. His breakout singles “cut my fingers off” and “engravings” have earned over 135 million Spotify streams. Currently, Ethan is honing an artistic vision to bring classical music to the mainstream in a bold new way.
- TEN—Thai singer and dancer with one of K-pop’s most distinctive solo careers. A member of NCT and WayV, he debuted solo in 2024 with “Nightwalker,” then topped iTunes Albums in 19 countries with his 2025 EP “Stunner,” which Billboard named one of the year’s best K-pop songs.
- Young Miko—GRAMMY®-nominated recording artist from Puerto Rico and one of the most influential voices shaping global music today. With over 20 million monthly listeners on Spotify and more than 21 million followers across social media, she has built a massive global fanbase driven by her genre-defying sound and commanding presence.
THE BEST OF ANIME
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards will take place on Saturday, May 23, 2026, with the live ceremony hosted by popular entertainer Jon Kabira and renowned voice actress Sally Amaki. First, the Orange Carpet Pre-Show begins at 5:00 PM JST, followed by the main show ceremony at 6:00 PM JST. The livestream will be available for global tune-in on Crunchyroll’s Twitch, TikTok, and YouTube channels. Additionally, it will stream on the Global and Japanese Sony Group Corp YouTube Channels. The 2026 Crunchyroll Anime Awards will be available in 9 languages. These include English, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Castilian Spanish, French, German, Hindi, Italian, and Latin Spanish.
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards is the leading yearly awards program honoring the creators, musicians, and performers powering the global love of anime. Sony Music Solutions Inc., part of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Dempsey Productions will support Crunchyroll in executing the event. The event will be livestreamed for global audiences.
Have you voted yet for your favorite anime? And will you be watching the Crunchyroll Anime Awards? Let us know in the comments down below.
Collectables and Anime Editor for Future Of The Force.
Star Wars expert and Japan connoisseur.
