Xavier Woods To Host 2020 Crunchyroll Anime Awards

Xavier Woods is set to host the Crunchyroll Anime Awards on Feb. 15. Voting for the awards runs through Jan. 10 – 17. The Anime Awards are a yearly celebration of the best and brightest in Japanese animation. 

Fightful was sent the following press release:

Crunchyroll, the world’s most popular anime brand, is excited to announce that voting for the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2020 is now open! 

The nominees have been revealed below and on the Anime Awards website. Fans are encouraged to vote every day (voting will reset every day at 12 AM PST) for their favorites between today, Friday January 10 – Friday, January 17.

This year the host for the Anime Awards will be WWE Superstar and longtime anime fan, Xavier Woods. 

Xavier Woods Bio: A Georgia native with a true love for sports entertainment, Xavier Woods followed his heart to WWE Superstardom. The purveyor of positivity may have won multiple WWE Tag Team Championships as one-third of The New Day, but he also welcomes all challengers in the gaming arena as the host of his own YouTube gaming show, UpUpDownDown. Having earned both a master’s degree and a PhD, Xavier Woods combines brain power with star power to be one of WWE’s most versatile Superstars.

This year’s Industry Icon will be president of Wit Studio, George Wada. 
George Wada Bio: After working as a producer at Production I.G., the studio behind the hit anime Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Wada created WIT STUDIO in June 2012, taking on the role of President. Notable titles he has produced include Attack on Titan, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, and The Ancient Magus’ Bride.

Presenters for this year’s Anime Awards include industry and entertainment personalities: Gibi, SungWon Cho, Cole Gallian, Miranda Sanchez, Tristan Gallant, Mark Phillips, Geoffrey Thew, Kiera Please, LilyPichu, Anthony Carboni, Dominique “SonicFox” McLean and Connor Colquhoun. Bios are linked here. 

The Crunchyroll Anime Awards is a celebration of the best and brightest in Japanese animation from 2019, all made possible by the world’s most passionate community. Now entering its fourth year, the Anime Awards’ commitment to commemorating the best of the best is stronger than ever with support and engagement from fans all over the globe.

The winners will be revealed live during the Anime Awards show on February 15, 2020, at 5:00 PM PST. All winners are chosen by fans across our global community and a committee of judges. Judges will serve as tiebreakers in the event of any ties.

Crunchyroll Anime Awards Nominees

Anime of the Year 
– Carole & Tuesday
– Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
– Mob Psycho 100 II
– O Maidens in Your Savage Season
– The Promised Neverland
– Vinland Saga

Best Protagonist 
– Emma, The Promised Neverland
– Hyakkimaru, Dororo
– Saitama, One-Punch Man Season 2
– Senku, Dr. STONE
– Tanjiro Kamado, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
– Tohru Honda, Fruits Basket

Best Antagonist 
– Ai Magase, BABYLON
– Angela, Carole & Tuesday
– Askeladd, Vinland Saga
– Garou, One-Punch Man Season 2
– Isabella, The Promised Neverland
– Overhaul, My Hero Academia Season 4

Best Boy
– Bruno Bucciarati, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind
– Hyakkimaru, Dororo
– Kanata Hoshijima, ASTRA LOST IN SPACE
– Naruzou Machio, How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?
– Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama, Mob Psycho 100 II
– Tanjiro Kamado, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Best Girl
– Carole, Carole & Tuesday
– Chika Fujiwara, KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR
– Emma, The Promised Neverland
– Kohaku, Dr. STONE
– Nezuko Kamado, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
– Raphtalia, The Rising of the Shield Hero

Best Director
– Tetsuro Araki, Attack on Titan Season 3
– Kiyotaka Suzuki, BABYLON
– Shinichiro Watanabe & Motonobu Hori, Carole & Tuesday
– Yuzuru Tachikawa, Mob Psycho 100 II
– Kunihiko Ikuhara, Sarazanmai
– Shuhei Yabuta, Vinland Saga

Best Animation
– Attack on Titan Season 3
– Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
– Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia
– Mob Psycho 100 II
– Sarazanmai
– Vinland Saga

Best Character Design 
– Tsunenori Saito, Original Character Design by Eisaku Kubonouchi, Carole & Tuesday
– Satoshi Iwataki, Original Character Design by Hiroyuki Asada, Dororo
– Yuko Iwasa, Dr. STONE
– Yuko Yahiro, Original Character Design by Aka Akasaka, KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR
– Kayoko Ishikawa, Original Character Design by Miggy, Sarazanmai
– Takahiko Abiru, Original Character Design by Makoto Yukimura, Vinland Saga

Best Score
– Hiroyuki Sawano, Attack on Titan Season 3
– Mocky, Carole & Tuesday
– Go Shiina and Yuki Kajiura, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
– Tatsuya Kato, Hiroaki Tsutsumi, and YUKI KANESAKA, Dr. STONE
– Yugo Kanno, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind
– Kevin Penkin, The Rising of the Shield Hero

Best Fight Scene 
– Emperor Crimson vs. Metallic, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind
– Levi vs. Beast Titan, Attack on Titan Season 3
– Mob vs. Toichiro, Mob Psycho 100 II
– Tanjiro & Nezuko vs. Rui, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
– Thorfinn vs. Thorkell, Vinland Saga
– Ushiwakamaru vs. Tiamat, Fate/Grand Order Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia

Best Couple
– Baki Hanma & Kozue Matsumoto, Baki
– Kaguya Shinomiya & Miyuki Shirogane, KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR
– Mafuyu Sato & Ritsuka Uenoyama, given
– Reo & Mabu, Sarazanmai
– Rika Zonazaki & Shun Amagi, O Maidens in Your Savage Season
– Ymir & Historia, Attack on Titan Season 3

Best VA Performance (JP)
– Mamoru Miyano as Reo Niiboshi, Sarazanmai
– Saori Hayami as Shinobu Kocho, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
– Yuichi Nakamura as Bruno Bucciarati, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind
– Yukino Satsuki as Ai Magase, BABYLON
– Yuuko Kaida as Isabella, The Promised Neverland
– Yusuke Kobayashi as Senku, Dr. STONE

Best VA Performance (EN)
– Kyle McCarley as Shigeo “Mob” Kageyama, Mob Psycho 100 II
– Laura Bailey as Tohru Honda, Fruits Basket
– Erica Mendez as Retsuko, Aggretsuko Season 2
– Billy Kametz as Naofumi, The Rising of the Shield Hero
– Faye Mata as Aqua, KONOSUBA -God’s blessing on this wonderful world!
– Casey Mongillo as Shinji, Neon Genesis Evangelion

Best Comedy
– Aggretsuko Season 2
– How Heavy are the Dumbbells You Lift?
– Isekai Quartet
– KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR
– My Roommate is a Cat
– Sarazanmai

Best Fantasy
– Ascendance of a Bookworm
– ASTRA LOST IN SPACE
– Attack on Titan Season 3
– Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
– Sarazanmai
– The Promised Neverland

Best Drama
– BABYLON
– Carole & Tuesday
– Fruits Basket
– Stars Align
– The Promised Neverland
– Vinland Saga

Best Opening Sequence
–  Kiss Me by Nai Br.XX & Celeina Ann, Carole & Tuesday
Animation Director – Bahi JD
Storyboard Artist – Bahi JD
–  Kawaki wo Ameku by Minami, Domestic Girlfriend
Animation Director / Storyboard – Shota Ihata
Character Designer – Naomi Ide
–  Inferno by Mrs. GREEN APPLE, Fire Force
Storyboards – Akitoshi Yokoyama
Direction – Yuki Yase
Animation Director – Hideyuki Morioka
–  99.9 by MOB CHOIR feat. sajou no hana, Mob Psycho 100 II
Animation Director – Yoshimichi Kameda
Storyboard Artist – Yuzuru Tachikawa
–  Touch Off by UVERworld, The Promised Neverland
Animation Director – Kazuaki Shimada
Storyboard Artist – Atsushi Nishigori
–  Mukanjyo by Survive Said the Prophet, Vinland Saga
Animation Director – Takahiko Abiru
Storyboard Artist – Kazuya Murata

Best Ending Sequence
–  Hold Me Now by Nai Br.XX & Celeina Ann, Carole & Tuesday
Animation Director – Yoshiyuki Ito
Storyboard Artist – Norimitsu Suzuki
–  Sayonara Gokko by amazarashi, Dororo
Animation Director – Osamu Kobayashi
Storyboard Artist – Osamu Kobayashi
–  veil by Keina Suda, Fire Force
Storyboards, Direction, Animation, Coloring, and Backgrounds – Taiki Konno
–  Chikatto Chika Chikaa by Konami Kohara, KAGUYA-SAMA: LOVE IS WAR
Animation Director – Naoya Nakayama
Storyboard Artist – Naoya Nakayama
–  Stand by me by the peggies, Sarazanmai
Animation Director – Kayoko Ishikawa
Storyboard Artist – Tao Tajima
–  Torches by Aimer, Vinland Saga
Animation Director – Toshiyuki Yamashita
Storyboard Artist – Toshiyuki Yamashita