For The Weeknd, this appearance is more than a celebrity cameo; it is a tribute to the medium that built his creative identity. “When I was first introduced to anime, I was a child,” he shared, citing Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z as early influences. However, it was the hip-hop-infused masterpiece Samurai Champloo that truly altered his trajectory.
“It was the first time I experienced two of my favorite mediums—anime and hip hop—blending so seamlessly that it completely reshaped the way I watched film and listened to music,” the artist explained. He revealed that his debut era was directly birthed from this fusion: “Without Watanabe and Nujabes, House of Balloons simply wouldn’t exist. I wrote ‘The Morning,’ ‘Glass Table Girls,’ and ‘Loft Music’ over Nujabes’ instrumentals.”
This year’s “Anime of the Year” category features a powerhouse lineup reflecting the diverse reach of the industry. The nominees include:
DAN DA DAN Season 2
Gachiakuta
My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
Takopi’s Original Sin
The Apothecary Diaries (Season 2)
The Summer Hikaru Died
Fans have until April 16 to cast their daily votes across 32 categories via the official Anime Awards website, Crunchyroll, and MyAnimeList.
As the leading global awards program for the medium, the tenth annual ceremony promises to be a “masterclass” in cultural convergence. Supported by Sony Music Solutions and Dempsey Productions, the event will be livestreamed to millions of fans worldwide. For The Weeknd, the night is a chance to give back to the art form that provided his “visual DNA.” As he poignantly noted, “It’s an honor to celebrate the artists behind it and a medium that continues to inspire the world.”
