Japan Society and Anime NYC announced the winners of the third American Manga Awards on Thursday, recognizing manga creators and publishers driving the medium's growth across North America and Japan.

Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki's Billy Bat (volume 1) claimed Best New Manga, published by Kana/Abrams ComicArts. The mystery thriller follows a man who discovers a strange bat drawing in an old film reel, launching him down a rabbit hole of conspiracy. Mokumokuren's The Summer Hikaru Died (volume 6) won Best Continuing Manga Series through Yen Press, continuing its exploration of grief and body-swap fiction.

Other winners included Machiko Kyō's one-shot "Cocoon" for Best One-Shot Manga, and a new Collector's Edition of Mushishi by Yuki Urushibara took Best New Edition of Classic Manga. Technical awards went to letterer Madeleine Jose (Maid to Skate), translator Jan Mitsuko Cash (MAGICA), and designer Wendy Chan for Fruits Basket: The Complete Box Set.

The ceremony also inducted two figures into the Manga Publishing Hall of Fame: Ioannis Mentzas, co-founder of Vertical and former editorial director of Kodansha USA (posthumously), and Chigusa Ogino from Tuttle-Mori Agency's manga division. Both have shaped how manga reaches English-speaking audiences over decades.

Manga creator Akiko Higashimura (Princess Jellyfish, Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey) received the American Manga Award of Distinction for her contributions to the medium.

Professionals working in editorial roles at North American manga publishers voted on winners. Deb Aoki, a critic and host of the Mangasplaining podcast, leads the American Manga Awards Planning Committee.

Last year's ceremony took place in New York City in August 2025. The awards continue to recognize excellence across publishing, translation, design, and lettering—disciplines that often go unnoticed but shape how millions of readers experience manga in English.