Manga Taishō

The is a Japanese comics award recognizing achievement in manga. It is awarded annually to a manga series published in the previous calendar year of eight or fewer collected volumes in length. The Manga Taishō was founded with the aim of recognizing new and relatively unestablished manga, and to provide a platform to promote these works to new readers. To this end, the prize utilizes a judging criteria of recognizing manga one would "want to recommend to friends", rather than a strictly meritocratic evaluation of artistic excellence.

The prize is presented by the Manga Taishō Executive Committee, a volunteer group of roughly one hundred "manga lovers from all walks of life", primarily bookstore workers who manage in-store manga sections. Individuals directly involved with the manga industry, such as manga artists, authors, book designers, and editors, are barred from sitting on the committee; this distinguishes the Manga Taishō from the majority of the other major manga industry awards, which are typically organized by a specific publishing company and voted on by the company's editors. The Manga Taishō was established by Nippon Broadcasting System news announcer , who sought to create a prize as a manga equivalent of the Japan Booksellers' Award, a similarly structured award which recognizes literature.

The voting system, also based on that of the Japan Booksellers' Award, is divided into two rounds. In the first round, each committee member nominates five titles, and the top ten titles are shortlisted for the prize. In the event of a tie, both titles are nominated and the shortlist is lengthened; the largest shortlist was in 2012, with fifteen nominees. The second round is a ranked vote, where each member reads each nominated work at their own expense, and selects their top three choices in order of preference. Points are assigned based on rank (three points for first preference, two for second, one for third), the rankings are aggregated, and the title with the most points wins. Winning titles cannot be re-nominated in subsequent years. The Manga Taishō does not award a cash prize, though winning titles are promoted heavily in bookstores across Japan; the prize is thus recognized as being a significant sales driver for manga, and winning titles are frequently adapted into anime or television dramas.

The inaugural Manga Taishō was awarded on March 28, 2008, to Gaku: Minna no Yama by Shinichi Ishizuka, and in 2026 to Hon Nara Uru Hodo by Ao Kojima. Since its inception, the Manga Taishō has been awarded annually, with nineteen winners as of 2026. Akiko Higashimura and Yama Wayama are the most-nominated authors, with seven nominations each including Higashimura's win for Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey in 2015. The highest-scoring series in the prize's history is a three-way tie between Chihayafuru by Yuki Suetsugu, Draw This, Then Die! by , and Alice, Doko Made mo by , each winning the Manga Taishō with 102 points in 2009, 2023 and 2025 respectively; 2023's runner-up, Akane-banashi by and , is the highest-scoring series in the prize's history to not win the Manga Taishō, with 100 points. The most-nominated series are Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui and Onna no Sono no Hoshi by Yama Wayama, each with four. No author has won the award multiple times.

Winners and nominees

+ Award year Title Author(s) Points 2008 Gaku: Minna no Yama | style="background:#99ff99;" | | style="background:#99ff99;" align="center" | 68|rowspan="12" align="center" | |- | Yotsuba&! | | align="center" |49 |- | Umimachi Diary | | align="center" |43 |- | Flower of Life | | align="center" |43 |- | Kimi ni Todoke | | align="center" | 42 |- | Ōoku: The Inner Chambers | | align="center" | 40

| and | align="center" | 35 |- | Tomehane! Suzuri Kōkō Shodōbu | | align="center" | 27 |- | Moyasimon: Tales of Agriculture | | align="center" | 26 |- | Natsume's Book of Friends | | align="center" | 23 |- | Himawari: Kenichi Legend | | align="center" | 20 |- | What Did You Eat Yesterday? | | align="center" | 19 |- ! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="10" style="text-align:center" | 2009 () | style="background:#99ff99;" | Chihayafuru | style="background:#99ff99;" | | style="background:#99ff99;" align="center" | 102|rowspan="10" align="center" | |- | Space Brothers | | align="center" | 94 |- | March Comes In like a Lion | | align="center" | 65 |- | Shin'ya Shokudō | | align="center" | 47

| align="center" | 46 |- | Saint Young Men | | align="center" | 45 |- | Tomehane! Suzuri Kōkō Shodōbu | | align="center" | 43

| align="center" | 36 |- | Toriko | | align="center" | 25 |- | You're Being Summoned, Azazel | | align="center" | 15 |- ! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="10" style="text-align:center" | 2010 | style="background:#99ff99;" | Thermae Romae | style="background:#99ff99;" | | style="background:#99ff99;" align="center" | 94|rowspan="10" align="center" | |- | Space Brothers | | align="center" | 89 |- | Bakuman | and Takeshi Obata | align="center" | 60 |- | I Am a Hero | | align="center" | 55 |- | Otoko no Isshō | | align="center" | 48 |- | Mushi to Uta: Ichikawa Haruko Sakuhin-Shū | | align="center" | 47 |- | Princess Jellyfish | | align="center" | 46 |- | Moteki | | align="center" | 44

| align="center" | 55 |- | I Am a Hero | | align="center" | 51 |- | Hana no Zubora-Meshi | and | align="center" | 50 |- | Shitsuren Chocolatier | | align="center" | 47 |- | Sayonara Mo Iwazu Ni | | align="center" | 42 |- | Attack on Titan | | align="center" | 41 |- | Kokkoku: Moment by Moment | | align="center" | 38 |- | Those Snow White Notes | | align="center" | 36 |- | Drifters | | align="center" | 35 |- | Don't Cry, Girl | | align="center" | 35

| align="center" | 61 |- | Nobunaga Concerto | | align="center" | 57 |- | Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju | | align="center" | 49

| align="center" | 46 |- | Drifters | | align="center" | 43 |- | Gurazeni | and | align="center" | 41 |- | I Am a Hero | | align="center" | 40 |- | Skygrazer | | align="center" | 37 |- | Takasugi-san's Obento | | align="center" | 37 |- | Hibi Rock | | align="center" | 32

| align="center" | 28 |- | Your Lie in April | | align="center" | 27 |- | Hozuki's Coolheadedness | | align="center" | 24 |- | My Neighbor Seki | | align="center" | 12 |- ! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="11" style="text-align:center" | 2013 | style="background:#99ff99;" | Umimachi Diary | style="background:#99ff99;" | | style="background:#99ff99;" align="center" | 89|rowspan="11" align="center" |

| align="center" | 78 |- | Welcome to the Ballroom | | align="center" | 78 |- | Hi Score Girl | | align="center" | 62 |- | My Love Story!! | and Aruko | align="center" | 58 |- | Assassination Classroom | | align="center" | 40 |- | Seven Little Sons of the Dragon: A Collection of Seven Stories | | align="center" | 36 |- | Ningen Karimenchū | | align="center" | 35 |- | Terra Formars | and | align="center" | 30 |- | Sanzoku Diary

| align="center" | 29 |- | Bokura no Funka-sai

| align="center" | 29 |- ! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="10" style="text-align:center" | 2014 | style="background:#99ff99;" | | style="background:#99ff99;" | | style="background:#99ff99;" align="center" | 94|rowspan="10" align="center" | |- | Erased | | align="center" | 82 |- | Sayonara, Tama-chan | | align="center" | 66

| align="center" | 59 |- | Terrarium in a Drawer | | align="center" | 54 |- | Jūhan Shuttai! | | align="center" | 46 |- | One-Punch Man | One | align="center" | 43 |- | Ajin: Demi-Human | | align="center" | 32 |- | Ashizuri Suizokukan | Panpanya | align="center" | 31 |- | Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto | | align="center" | 9 |- ! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="14" style="text-align:center" | 2015 | style="background:#99ff99;" | Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey | style="background:#99ff99;" | | style="background:#99ff99;" align="center" | 80|rowspan="14" align="center" |

| align="center" | 66

| align="center" | 65 |- | Erased | | align="center" | 57 |- | Blue Giant | | align="center" | 49 |- | Welcome to the Ballroom | | align="center" | 40 |- | Innocent | | align="center" | 38 |- | My Hero Academia | | align="center" | 36 |- | Ōsama-tachi no Viking | and Makoto Fukami | align="center" | 35 |- | Kasane | | align="center" | 30 |- | Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun | | align="center" | 28

| align="center" | 28 |- | Land of the Lustrous | | align="center" | 18 |- | Dimitri Tomkins | | align="center" | 8 |- ! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="11" style="text-align:center" | 2016 | style="background:#99ff99;" | Golden Kamuy | style="background:#99ff99;" | | style="background:#99ff99;" align="center" | 91|rowspan="11" align="center" | |- | Delicious in Dungeon | | align="center" | 78 |- | Blue Giant | | align="center" | 68 |- | Erased | | align="center" | 55 |- | Hyakumanjō Labyrinth | | align="center" | 49 |- | Wave, Listen to Me! | | align="center" | 43 |- | After the Rain | | align="center" | 42 |- | Machida-kun no Sekai | | align="center" | 38 |- | Tokyo Tarareba Girls | | align="center" | 29

| align="center" | 28 |- | Tonkatsu DJ Agetarō | Ipyao and | align="center" | 25 |- ! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="13" style="text-align:center" | 2017 | style="background:#99ff99;" | Hibiki: Shōsetsuka ni Naru Hōhō | style="background:#99ff99;" | | style="background:#99ff99;" align="center" | 67 |rowspan="13" align="center" | |- | Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom | | align="center" | 64 |- | Delicious in Dungeon | | align="center" | 63 |- | Aoashi | and | align="center" | 60 |- | Wave, Listen to Me! | | align="center" | 48

| and Posuka Demizu | align="center" | 43 |- | Golden Gold | | align="center" | 42 |- | Fire Punch | | align="center" | 37 |- | Hi Score Girl | | align="center" | 33 |- | Teasing Master Takagi-san | | align="center" | 30 |- | My Boy | | align="center" | 20 |- | Tokyo Tarareba Girls | | align="center" | 18 |- | Drifting Dragons | | align="center" | 9 |- ! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="12" style="text-align:center" | 2018 | style="background:#99ff99;" | Beastars | style="background:#99ff99;" | | style="background:#99ff99;" align="center" | 78|rowspan="12" align="center" |

| align="center" | 68 |- | Nagi no Oitoma | | align="center" | 56 |- | Delicious in Dungeon | | align="center" | 52 |- | To Your Eternity

| align="center" | 47 |- | Smile Down the Runway | | align="center" | 46 |- | Witch Hat Atelier | | align="center" | 42 |- | Made in Abyss | | align="center" | 40 |- | Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! | | align="center" | 38 |- | Pompo: The Cinéphile | | align="center" | 28

| and Posuka Demizu | align="center" | 26 |- | Golden Gold | | align="center" | 13 |- ! scope="rowgroup" rowspan="13" style="text-align:center" | 2019 | style="background:#99ff99;" | Astra Lost in Space | style="background:#99ff99;" | | style="background:#99ff99;" align="center" | 94|rowspan="13" align="center" | |- | Don't Call It Mystery | | align="center" | 78 |- | Blue Period | | align="center" | 73 |- | Journal with Witch | | align="center" | 45 |- | Sazan to Suisei no Shōjo | | align="center" | 41 |- | Go with the Clouds, North by Northwest | | align="center" | 40 |- | Kongōji-san wa Mendōkusai | | align="center" | 39 |- | BL Metamorphosis | | align="center" | 38 |- | Hakumei and Mikochi | | align="center" | 33 |- | Nagi no Oitoma

Manga Taishō

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