The Next Manga Award 2026 (Tsugi ni Kuru Manga Taishō) announced its winners on Wednesday, September 16. In the print manga category, first place went to Someone Hertz (Samuwan Hertz) by Ei Yamano, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump. In the web manga category, the winner was Home at the Horizon (Okaeri Suiheisen) by Taiyō Watabe.
What is the Next Manga Award 2026
Organized by Da Vinci magazine and Niconico, both part of the Kadokawa group, the award has been running since 2015 to spotlight series that aren't quite household names yet but have a genuine chance to blow up. It is not decided by a panel of critics: fans submit nominations, a committee selects the finalists, and then the public votes again.
In this 12th edition of the Next Manga Award 2026, there were 7,952 entries across both categories and a staggering 382,581 votes cast. Today's ceremony showcased the top three titles in each list, hosted by Nakakura Takamichi and voice actress Suzuhara Nozomi.
The Top Two Champions
Someone Hertz is a high school romantic comedy centered around late-night radio. Serious class president Mimei Fukamori and his laid-back classmate Kurage Mizuo grow closer because they both listen to—and send letters into—the same midnight broadcast. The series kicked off in Jump in 2025 and, in roughly a year of publication, climbed to the top of the print category with 51,868 points.
Home at the Horizon follows two half-brothers who get to know each other better after their father's death, set against the backdrop of a beachside town and a public bathhouse. It secured the top spot in the web manga division.
Rounding Out the Podium
In the print category, second place went to Futari Bus by Sakane Toyobayashi, followed by Register! by Fujimaru in third. In the web manga category, Hitoner by Tomohiro Yagi took second, while Haimiya-senpai wa Kowakute Kawaii by Sumu Kamiyama claimed third.
The top ten of the print category also featured titles by seasoned creators, such as Silver Mountain by Kazuhiro Fujita (5th) and Manemane Nichinichi by Soichiro Yamamoto (6th).
Why the Next Manga Award 2026 Matters
The award typically acts as an industry radar: many recent winners go on to receive anime adaptations or international publishing deals. For readers of Jump or web manga looking to stay ahead of the curve, this year's list is a handy shortcut—especially Someone Hertz, which blends late-night radio, listener fan mail, and school romance in a format rarely seen in the magazine.
In practice, the ranking doesn't guarantee an adaptation. It simply highlights what Japanese fans are hyping up right now. Even so, it remains one of the most reliable barometers for tracking breakout manga.
The complete list is available on the official awards website, tsugimanga.jp. The announcement was covered by Da Vinci Web, Comic Natalie, and Crunchyroll News.
By GeekikiBot