The was an event established by Kobe in 1996 to promote anime and other visual media. The were given annually until 2015 by Kobe and the Organising Committee to creators and creations.
Event Animation Kobe was held annually in Kobe from 1996 to 2015. In addition to the awards ceremony, the event held talk shows and screenings of the prize winners. In 2006, the 11th event was carried live on the official website.
No.Event nameDatePlace 1 The 1st Animation Kobe December 8, 1996 Kobe Fashion Mart 2 The 2nd Animation Kobe November 24, 1997 Kobe Portopia Hotel 3 The 3rd Animation Kobe November 22, 1998 Kobe International Conference Center, Main Hall 4 The 4th Animation Kobe November 13, 1999 Kobe International Conference Center, Main Hall 5 The 5th Animation Kobe November 12, 2000 Kobe International Conference Center, Main Hall 6 The 6th Animation Kobe September 16, 2001 Kobe International Conference Center, Main Hall 7 The 7th Animation Kobe November 10, 2002 Kobe International Conference Center, Main Hall 8 The 8th Animation Kobe November 9, 2003 Kobe Chamber of Commerce and Industry Hall 9 The 9th Animation Kobe November 14, 2004 Xebec hall 10 The 10th Animation Kobe October 2, 2005 Kobe International Conference Center, Main Hall 11 The 11th Animation Kobe November 19, 2006 Xebec hall 12 The 12th Animation Kobe November 4, 2007 Nishiyama Kinen-kaikan 13 The 13th Animation Kobe November 2, 2008 Kobe International Conference Center, Main Hall 14 The 14th Animation Kobe October 18, 2009 Kobe International Conference Center, Main Hall 15 The 15th Animation Kobe November 28, 2010 Kobe International Conference Center, Main Hall 16 The 16th Animation Kobe October 6, 2011 Kobe International Conference Center, Main Hall 17 The 17th Animation Kobe December 2, 2012 Kobe International Conference Center, Main Hall 18 The 18th Animation Kobe December 8, 2013 Kobe International Conference Center, Main Hall 19 The 19th Animation Kobe December 7, 2014 Design and Creative Center Kobe
Major staff Chairman of the Committee Yasuki Hamano, 1996–2005 Akira Kamiya, 2006–2015
Chairman of the examination The examination was done mainly by a panel of chief editors of magazines covering anime, such as Newtype, Animedia and Animage. Usually, a city employee sent by Kobe City would also participate.Judges at the 3rd event (1998), Judges at the 6th event (2001), Judges at the 9th event (2004) The panel voted for one of its members to serve as chairman:about the chairman of the judges at the 6th event (2001) Nobuo Oda, 1998 – chief editor of Animedia Susumu Asaka, 1999 – chief editor of CD-ROM Fan Toshihiro Fukuoka, 2000 – chief editor of Weekly Ascii Masahito Arinaga, 2001 – chief editor of a new magazine of MediaWorks Akitaro Daichi, 2002–2003 – animation director Kenji Yano, 2004 – chief editor of Newtype Yasushi Nakaji, 2006 – chief editor of Animedia Toshihiro Fukuoka, 2007 – chief editor of Weekly Ascii Isao Fujioka, 2008 – chairman of MdN Corporation
Winners The committee chooses most of the winners. Only the Animation Kobe Theme Song Award is chosen by fans' votes in the first selection, though the decision is by the committee. Therefore, the tendency of the prize winners is a little different from other prizes by the fans' vote. (See: Animage Grand Prix)
Individual Award The activities from September of the previous year to August of the event year become objects for the examination. Newcomers expected to have future prominence are noted.criterion of examination at the 3rd event (1998)criterion of examination at the 5th event (2000)
No.YearWinnerNotable work of the year 1 1996 Hideaki Anno Director (Neon Genesis Evangelion) 2 1997 Hayao Miyazaki Director (Princess Mononoke) 3 1998 Shinichi Watanabe Director (Hare Tokidoki Buta)* 4 1999 Akitaro Daichi Director (Ojarumaru, Jubei-chan) 5 2000 Hiroyuki Okiura Director (Jin-Roh)* 6 2001 Hiroyuki Kitakubo Director (Blood: The Last Vampire) 7 2002 Keiichi Hara Director (Crayon Shin-chan television series and movie) 8 2003 Yōsuke Kuroda Screenwriter (Ground Defense Force! Mao-chan, Please Twins!) 9 2004 Kenji Kamiyama Director (Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG) 10 2005 Ken'ichi Yoshida Animator (for the character design of Eureka Seven) 11 2006 Hiroshi Nagahama Director (Mushishi)* 12 2007 Hiroyuki Imaishi Director (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann) 13 2008 Mitsuo Iso Director (Dennō Coil)* 14 2009 Kunio Katō Director (La Maison en Petits Cubes)* 15 2010 Mamoru Hosoda Director (Summer Wars)* 16 2011 Mari Okada Screenwriter (Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai) 17 2012 Noriyasu Agematsu Music producer, composer, lyricist (Senki Zesshō Symphogear) 18 2013 Tsutomu Mizushima Director (Girls und Panzer) 19 2014 Seiji Kishi Director (Hamatora: The Animation) 20 2015 Seiji Mizushima Director (Expelled from Paradise) * Watanabe, Okiura, Nagahama, Iso and Katō received the award for their first films as director.
Special Award Awards for individual(s) or group that contributed to Japanese anime during a long period.
In the first year, the Yomiuri Award was posthumously given to Fujiko F. Fujio who died two months before the event.
No.YearWinnerNote 1 1996 Fujiko F. Fujio Yomiuri Award. Manga artist: the creator of Doraemon etc. 2 1997 Masako Nozawa Voice actor 3 1998 Yasuo Ōtsuka Animator 4 1999 Takao Koyama Screenwriter 5 2000 Shigeharu Shiba Audio director 6 2001 Kunio Okawara Mechanical designer 7 2002 Masao Maruyama Producer (Madhouse) 8 2003 Leiji Matsumoto Manga artist 9 2004 Shigeru Watanabe Producer (Bandai Visual) 10 2005 Ippei Kuri (Toyoharu Yoshida) A founder of Tatsunoko Production, awarded for his activities as general producer. 11 2006 Group TAC Studio Nobuyo ŌyamaNoriko OharaMichiko NomuraKazuya TatekabeKaneta Kimotsuki Voice actors: main cast of Doraemon (1979–2005) 12 2007 Isao Takahata Director (Studio Ghibli) 13 2008 Masaki Tsuji Screenwriter 14 2009 Shun-ichi Yukimuro Writer 15 2010 Studio Biho Studio (anime background art) 16 2011 Osamu Dezaki Director Detective Conan Production Team 17 2012 Sanzigen Studio (3DCG Animation) 18 2013 Shōji Kawamori Director, mecha designer, vision creator Izumi Todo Creative team 19 2014 Kyoto Animation Studio
Theatrical Film Award Animation films released in Japan from September of the previous year to August of the event year become candidates. The candidates are selected not only from Japan, but also from other countries. However, the committee sees more importance in a point of view promoting young creators of Japan.
No.YearTitleStudioDirector 1 1996 Ghost in the Shell Production I.G Mamoru Oshii 2 1997 Princess Mononoke Studio Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki 3 1998 Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back OLM Kunihiko Yuyama 4 1999 Cardcaptor Sakura The Movie Madhouse Morio Asaka 5 2000 Cardcaptor Sakura The Movie 2: The Sealed Card Madhouse Morio Asaka 6 2001 Spirited Away Studio Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki 7 2002 The Cat Returns Studio Ghibli Hiroyuki Morita 8 2003 Millennium Actress Madhouse Satoshi Kon 9 2004 Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence Production I.G Mamoru Oshii 10 2005 New Translation Zeta Gundam: Heirs to the Stars Sunrise Yoshiyuki Tomino 11 2006 The Girl Who Leapt Through Time Madhouse Mamoru Hosoda 12 2007 Paprika Madhouse Satoshi Kon 13 2008 Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone Khara Hideaki Anno 14 2009 WALL-E Pixar Andrew Stanton 15 2010 The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya Kyoto Animation Yasuhiro Takemoto 16 2011 Macross Frontier: Sayonara no Tsubasa Satelight Shōji Kawamori 17 2012 K-On! The Movie Kyoto Animation Naoko Yamada 18 2013 The Garden of Words Shinkai Creative, CoMix Wave Films Makoto Shinkai 19 2014 Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Rebellion Shaft Akiyuki ShinboYukihiro Miyamoto 20 2015 Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie Production I.G Kazuya Nomura
Television Award The TV animations broadcast in Japan from September of the previous year to August of the event year, excluding rebroadcasts, become candidates. The candidates are selected not only from Japan but also from other countries. However, the committee sees more importance in a point of view promoting young creators of Japan.
No.YearTitleStudioDirectorScreenwriter 1 1996 Neon Genesis Evangelion Gainax & Tatsunoko Hideaki Anno Hideaki Anno 2 1997 Revolutionary Girl Utena J.C.Staff Kunihiko Ikuhara Yōji Enokido 3 1998 Cowboy Bebop Sunrise Shinichirō Watanabe Keiko Nobumoto 4 1999 ∀ Gundam Sunrise Yoshiyuki Tomino Yoshiyuki Tomino 5 2000 Infinite Ryvius Sunrise Gorō Taniguchi Yōsuke Kuroda 6 2001 Angelic Layer Bones Hiroshi Nishikiori Ichirō Ōkouchi 7 2002 RahXephon Bones Yutaka Izubuchi Chiaki J. Konaka 8 2003 Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Sunrise Mitsuo Fukuda Yoshiyuki Tomino 9 2004 Fullmetal Alchemist Bones Seiji Mizushima Shō Aikawa 10 2005 Gankutsuō: The Count of Monte Cristo Gonzo Mahiro Maeda Natsuko Takahashi 11 2006 The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Kyōto Animation Tatsuya Ishihara Yutaka Yamamoto 12 2007 Code Geass Sunrise Gorō Taniguchi Ichirō Ōkouchi 13 2008 Code Geass R2 Sunrise Gorō Taniguchi Ichirō Ōkouchi 14 2009 Eden of the East Production I.G Kenji Kamiyama Kenji Kamiyama 15 2010 K-On!! Kyoto Animation Naoko Yamada Reiko Yoshida 16 2011 Puella Magi Madoka Magica Shaft Akiyuki ShinboYukihiro Miyamoto Gen Urobuchi 17 2012 YuruYuri Dogakobo Masahiko Ohta Takashi Aoshima 18 2013 Attack on Titan Wit Studio Tetsurō Araki Yasuko Kobayashi 19 2014 Love Live! Sunrise Takahiko Kyōgoku Jukki Hanada 20 2015 Shirobako P.A. Works Tsutomu Mizushima Michiko Yokote
Packaged Work Award The packaged media distributed in Japan from September of the previous year to August of the event year become candidates. The candidates are selected not only from Japan but also from other countries. However, the committee sees more importance in a point of view promoting young creators of Japan.
No.YearTitleDeveloper /Anime StudioType 1 1996 Key the Metal Idol Studio Pierrot OVA 2 1997 Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz Sunrise OVA 3 1998 Sakura Taisen 2 ~Kimi, Shinitamou koto Nakare~ Sega Video game (SS) Sakura Taisen: Ouka Kenran RADIX OVA 4 1999 Blue Submarine No. 6 GONZO OVA 5 2000 Shenmue Sega-AM2 Video game (SDC) 6 2001 Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec Polyphony Digital Video game (PS2) 7 2002 Voices of a Distant Star Makoto Shinkai Hand-made anime 8 2003 Sentō Yōsei Yukikaze GONZO OVA 9 2004 Haré+Guu FINAL Bandai Visual OVA 10 2005 Diebuster Gainax OVA 11 2006 The Wings of Rean Sunrise OVA 12 2007 Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society Production I.G Television film
Network Award Re-created in 2000 as Network Media Award, the anime-related media making the best use of interactive distribution in Japan from September of the previous year to August of the event year become candidates.
The word Network does not mean only Internet. The candidates are selected not only from Japan but also from other countries. However, the committee sees more importance in a point of view promoting young creators of Japan.
No.YearTitleDeveloper /Anime StudioTypeNote 1 1996 Jungle Park DIGITALOGUE Video game (Sega Saturn) Best Interactive Software Award 2 1997 Girlfriend of Steel Gainax Video game (Win95) Best Interactive Software Award 1998–1999 Not awarded 5 2000 Pokémon Gold and Silver Nintendo Video game (GBC) 6 2001 Phantasy Star Online Sega MMO (DC) 7 2002 Final Fantasy XI Square MMO (PS2, MS Windows) 8 2003 Grand-Ma Cyberploc Studios Digital animation 9 2004 Ski Jumping Pairs Riichiro Mashima Hand-made digital animation 10 2005 Mayutoro The Toons XeNN STUDIOS CG anime 11 2006 Yawaraka Sensha (Soft Tank) Rareko Flash anime 12 2007 Second Life Linden Research, Inc. Internet-based virtual world 13 2008 Hatsune Miku Crypton Future Media Vocaloid character 14 2009 Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya