Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Tokyo Anime Awards began in 2002 as a simple competition held during the Tokyo International Anime Fair. The first three ceremonies from 2002 through 2004 carried no formal name beyond Competition.
Over one hundred people participate in judging each year of the Tokyo Anime Awards. Ten main judges work with additional support staff to reach totals like 197 participants at the fourth event in 2005.
Spirited Away received the Grand Prix award during the first celebration in 2002. No Animation of the Year award existed in 2003 so organizers recognized Best Entry Awards instead.
The Open Entry Awards exist specifically to discover new talent among amateur creators. Participants submit non-commercialized works ranging from fifteen seconds to thirty minutes in length.
Mikiko Watanabe received posthumous awards following her death during the Kyoto Animation arson attack. She was among thirty-six people killed when the studio burned down in July 2019.