Someone Hertz and Okaeri Suiheisen have emerged as the top titles in the 2026 Next Manga Award, topping the Print and Web categories respectively. The results, announced during a Niconico livestream, reflect a massive engagement effort from the community, with 382,581 votes cast to narrow down a field of 100 nominees selected from over 7,900 submissions.
The competition, co-organized by Kadokawa’s Da Vinci magazine, serves as a barometer for emerging talent. Eligibility is strictly limited to series with five or fewer volumes or those that began serialization within the previous year, ensuring the focus remains on up-and-coming works. Following the announcement, the top three titles in each category have been inducted into the award's Hall of Fame, effectively retiring them from future consideration.
Beyond the primary rankings, several special honors were distributed, including the U-Next Award for both Dig It and WITCHRIV. While these awards highlight new series, it is worth noting that many previous winners have gone on to receive anime adaptations, often seeing significant boosts in readership following their recognition. With the 2026 cycle now closed, the industry will be watching to see which of these newly crowned titles makes the jump to the screen first.
