Kpop stars at The Crunchyroll Anime Awards are once again taking center stage as Crunchyroll expands the celebrity presenter lineup for its milestone tenth annual event in Tokyo.
The latest additions include Thai K-pop artist BamBam, Thai singer and dancer TEN, contemporary musician Ethan Bortnick, and Grammy-nominated Puerto Rican artist Young Miko.
The 2026 edition of The Crunchyroll Anime Awards takes place on Saturday, May 23, 2026, bringing together anime creators, performers, musicians, and international celebrities for one of the medium’s biggest yearly celebrations.
Kpop stars at The Crunchyroll Anime Awards continue anime’s global crossover era
The presence of Kpop stars at The Crunchyroll Anime Awards reflects anime’s growing influence far beyond Japan, especially within music and youth culture.
BamBam, best known as a member of GOT7, has steadily built a successful solo career since 2021, expanding beyond his rapper image with a more vocal-focused sound and broader artistic identity.
TEN, meanwhile, remains one of K-pop’s most internationally recognized performers through his work with NCT and WayV.
After making his solo debut with “Nightwalker” in 2024, his 2025 EP “Stunner” topped iTunes album charts across 19 countries, with Billboard later naming it among the best K-pop songs of the year.
Joining the K-pop-heavy lineup is Young Miko, whose genre-blending music and global online reach have made her one of Latin music’s fastest-rising artists.
Contemporary musician Ethan Bortnick will also appear at the event, bringing his classical-meets-modern musical style to the Anime Awards stage.
These newly announced names join an already high-profile presenter roster that includes actress Asuka Saito, rapper and producer RZA, Indian actress Rashmika Mandanna, actor Winston Duke, and global music superstar The Weeknd.
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards livestream schedule and hosts
The Crunchyroll Anime Awards ceremony will be hosted by Japanese entertainer Jon Kabira alongside voice actress Sally Amaki.
The Orange Carpet Pre-Show begins at 5pm JST | 4pm GMT+8 | 10am CEST | Saturday, May 23, 2026 1am PST.
This is followed by the main ceremony at 6pm JST | 5pm GMT+8 | 11am CEST | Saturday, May 23, 2026 2am PST.
Global viewers will be able to watch the livestream through Crunchyroll’s Twitch, TikTok, and YouTube channels, alongside the Sony Group’s Japanese and global YouTube channels.
This year’s broadcast will also support nine languages, including English, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Castilian Spanish, French, German, Hindi, Italian, and Latin Spanish.
Kpop stars at The Crunchyroll Anime Awards highlight anime’s worldwide reach
Over the years, The Crunchyroll Anime Awards has evolved beyond a traditional awards show into a larger celebration of anime’s cultural influence worldwide.
The continued appearance of Kpop stars at The Crunchyroll Anime Awards signals how deeply anime culture now overlaps with music fandoms, creator communities, and international entertainment industries.
Rather than treating anime as a niche space, the event increasingly positions it as a global entertainment force capable of bringing together artists from entirely different creative worlds.
With BamBam, TEN, Young Miko, and Ethan Bortnick joining this year’s ceremony, the 2026 Anime Awards is shaping up to be one of Crunchyroll’s most internationally diverse celebrations yet.
