American Anime Awards

• 1. Origins And Organization

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  Milton Griepp launched the American Anime Awards in 2007 to bring industry recognition to anime and manga releases across North America. He partnered with his own website, ICv2, to oversee the first annual balloting process. This collaboration aimed to establish a formal structure for an industry that had previously lacked a dedicated awards ceremony. The initiative sought to validate the growing market for Japanese animation and comics within the United States. Industry professionals from various companies submitted nominations through this new system. The goal was to create a standard of excellence that fans and creators could respect.

• 2. Ceremony And Presentation

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  The inaugural gala took place on the 24th of February 2007, inside New York City during the New York Comic Con event. Eight actresses from ADV Films hosted the evening: Christine Auten, Shelley Calene-Black, Jessica Boone, Luci Christian, Alice Fulks, Hilary Haag, Taylor Hannah, and Serena Varghese. Their presence brought a direct connection between the voice acting community and the award presentation itself. A streaming version of the one-hour ceremony later appeared on IGN.com for online viewers. The event concluded its live broadcast by airing on the Anime Network television channel. This single night marked the only time the awards were presented before the series ended.

• 3. Voting Mechanism And Eligibility

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  Ballots contained nominations submitted directly by industry companies and professional staff members. To qualify for consideration, any anime or manga title needed availability in the U.S. market during the calendar year prior to the gala. Eligible formats included DVD releases, book publications, periodicals, national TV broadcasts, or theatrical showings. Voting occurred through an online ballot system managed jointly with ICv2 to track submissions accurately. The partnership aimed to prevent mass voting by single individuals while ensuring data integrity. Critics later questioned whether the process remained impartial given the heavy involvement of certain companies like ADV Films.

• 4. Winners And Nominees

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  Fullmetal Alchemist won five awards including Best Series and Best Home Video Release from Bones studio. FLCL received two wins covering both animation and home video categories produced by Gainax and Production I.G. Zatch Bell! secured a win for Best Comedy despite some controversy regarding genre classification. Naruto earned seven nominations across multiple categories including voice acting and music tracks. Akira from Toho and Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shamballa from Bones also took top honors in their respective fields. Music awards recognized songs like Rewrite by Asian Kung-Fu Generation and Asterisk by Orange Range. Voice actors such as Vic Mignogna and Johnny Yong Bosch were nominated for specific roles within these series.

• 5. Fan Criticism And Controversy

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  Community backlash emerged over unclear nomination criteria that left voters guessing which works qualified for specific categories. Some acting nominees listed only one or more series, forcing fans to decide if they should judge the actor's entire body of work instead. Eligibility rules allowed any anime released in 2006 to be considered regardless of when the actual recording occurred. Critics pointed out errors like nominating Johnny Yong Bosch for Best Actor in a Comedy while his role in Akira was not a comedy. The broad eligibility window created confusion about whether decades-old performances could compete against new releases. These issues led many fans to question the validity of the results before the ceremony even concluded.