Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter, The Weeknd, is among the celebrity presenters scheduled to attend Crunchyroll’s 10th annual Anime Awards on Saturday, May 23, 2026, in Tokyo, Crunchyroll announced.
As someone who has always been fascinated by anime’s influence throughout his musical career, The Weeknd is just one more celebrity who will grace this prestigious event. This award show continues to be a celebration of creativity and artistic achievement within the worldwide anime industry.
The Weeknd fell in love with anime during his childhood.
“When I was first introduced to anime, I was a child. Sailor Moon was one of my first crushes, Goku my first imaginary sparring partner, and ‘One More Time’ by Daft Punk was a song and music video I couldn’t get out of my head.”
However, it took his teenage years for an anime to completely change the way he sees art.
“But it wasn’t until my teenage years that one specific anime changed me forever and became part of the fabric of my early career: Samurai Champloo by Shinichiro Watanabe. It was the first time I experienced two of my favorite mediums, anime and hip hop, blending so seamlessly that it completely reshaped the way I watched film and listened to music.”
The artist revealed what about this show made him appreciate anime in a new light.
“The fusion of a samurai story told with auteur precision, paired with the sounds of Nujabes, Fat Jon, and Force of Nature, was nothing short of transformative.”
The influence continued to follow him even as he created his House of Balloons mixtape.
“That influence stayed with me all the way through the creation of House of Balloons, where I wrote ‘The Morning,’ ‘Glass Table Girls,’ and ‘Loft Music’ over Nujabes’ instrumentals. Without Watanabe and Nujabes, House of Balloons simply wouldn’t exist.”
In addition, other influential artists inspired his visual aesthetic.
“Samurai Champloo opened my eyes to a more mature world of anime and helped shape my visual DNA. The works of Satoshi Kon, Mamoru Oshii, and Katsuhiro Otomo became foundational to the look and feel of The Weeknd.”
He summed up his thoughts on the importance of this medium in his career.
“So, it’s safe to say I wouldn’t be here without anime. It’s an honor to celebrate the artists behind it and a medium that continues to inspire the world.”
Global fans can cast their votes in 32 award categories, including Anime of the Year, every day until April 15 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Voting is possible on the official Anime Awards website, Crunchyroll, and MyAnimeList.
This year’s Anime Awards show will be produced by Sony Music Solutions Inc., part of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., and Dempsey Productions.
