The results of the Next Manga Awards 2026 (Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Taisho 2026) are officially here, revealing some of Japan’s most promising rising manga series.
The winners were announced during an awards ceremony held on September 16, 2026, marking the 12th edition of the annual manga awards.
This year’s competition received a massive 7,952 entries across its Physical Manga and Web Manga categories, with approximately 380,000 votes cast.
In the Manga Category, which focuses on manga published in physical collected volumes, Samuwan Hertz took the No. 1 position, followed by Futari Bus at No. 2 and Regista! at No. 3.
Samuwan Hertz Wins Next Manga Awards 2026 Comics Category
Samuwan Hertz, created by Yamanoe and published by Shueisha, claimed first place in the Manga Category.
The romantic comedy is currently serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump and revolves around the unusual combination of late-night radio, comedy, romance, and high school life.
The story follows Mimei Fukuramori, who secretly continues submitting material to the comedy segment of a late-night radio program.
Eventually, Mimei discovers that the admired listener known as “Unagi Potato,” whose submissions are constantly selected by the program, is actually classmate Kurage Mizuo.
Readers praised the series for combining radio with a youthful coming-of-age story, as well as its strong comedic exchanges and tsukkomi humor.
A special illustration celebrating the manga’s victory was also revealed as part of the awards.
Futari Bus Takes Second Place
Coming in at No. 2 was Futari Bus by Sakane Toyobayashi, published by Shogakukan.
The manga secured the runner-up position among thousands of entries in this year’s awards. A special illustration for Futari Bus was also released to commemorate its placement.
Regista! Ranks Third
Regista! (レジスタ！) by Fujimaru, also published by Shogakukan, finished in third place.
Like the other highest-ranked titles, Regista! received a special commemorative illustration following the announcement.
Together, Samuwan Hertz, Futari Bus, and Regista! make up the Top 3 Manga Category winners of the Next Manga Awards 2026.
Next Manga Awards 2026 Manga Category Top 10
The complete Top 10 ranking for the Comics Category is:
| Rank | Manga | Author | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samuwan Hertz | Yamanoe | Shueisha |
| 2 | Futari Bus | Sakane Toyobayashi | Shogakukan |
| 3 | Regista! | Fujimaru | Shogakukan |
| 4 | Parashoppers | Tsubasa Fukuchi | Shogakukan |
| 5 | Silver Mountain | Kazuhiro Fujita | Shogakukan |
| 6 | Mane Mane Nichinichi (Baseball Manager Everyday) | Soichiro Yamamoto | Shogakukan |
| 7 | Yamero Suki ni Natte Shimau (Stop! I’m Falling for You!) | Akira Moriguchi | Shueisha |
| 8 | Koi to Yobu ni wa Sasayaka desu ga (Not Quite Love) | Daisuke Hagiwara | Square Enix |
| 9 | Roku no Okashina Ie (Roku’s House of Oddities) | Atsushi Nakamura | Shueisha |
| 10 | Shacho to Sake to Hoshi (Me and the Prez, Drinking Under the Stars) | Zurikishi | Kodansha |
Shogakukan had an especially strong showing in the category, publishing five of the Top 10 titles, including both the second- and third-place winners.
Special Awards Were Also Announced
Several manga received additional awards during the 2026 event.
Boundary Melody received the special “Frozen Foods Are Nichirei Award.” The manga is based on an original work by Toshiya Miyata, with manga by Ikura Sugimoto and original character designs by LAM, and is published by KADOKAWA.
The U-NEXT Award for the Comics Category went to Dig It by Yoshida., published by Kodansha.
Meanwhile, the Niconico Manga Award went to Jimi na Ojisan, Jitsu wa Eiyuu deshita. ~Jikaku ga Nai Mama Musou Shitetara, Mei no Dungeon Haishin de Sarasareteta you desu~, credited to Mikawa Ghost, Yuki Konno, Yuki Akira, and Mizuiro Raika, and published by Shueisha.
Next Manga Awards 2026 Fair Coming To Around 2,000 Bookstores
The celebrations won’t end with the awards ceremony. Beginning September 17, the Next Manga Awards Fair will gradually launch at approximately 2,000 bookstores across Japan.
Fans purchasing the grand-prize-winning works at participating stores can also receive special illustrated cards as part of the campaign. While Samuwan Hertz leads this year’s Comics Category, a completely different title has taken the crown in the Web Manga Category, which features manga primarily published through online platforms.
Read our Next Manga Awards 2026 Web Manga Category results here. Bookmark Otaku Mantra for more anime and manga news and updates!
About Next Manga Awards
The Next Manga Awards (Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Taisho) is an annual Japanese manga award dedicated to highlighting emerging manga series with the potential to become major future hits.
The awards are divided into two primary categories: the Comics Category, covering manga released in print volumes, and the Web Manga Category, covering series primarily published online.
The 2026 edition marks the 12th time the awards have been held. Across both categories, 7,952 works were entered this year, while approximately 380,000 votes were cast.
The awards have become a way for manga readers to discover rising series while they are still relatively early in their publication runs.
Source: Ddnavi
