The official website for the 2021 Tokyo Anime Award Festival (TAAF) announced the eight recipients of the festival’s Achievement Award on Wednesday. The award honors those who have made great contributions to the growth of the animation industry and culture, and who have elevated the status of the anime industry through their art, expression, training of others, and international exchange.
The eight recipients of this year’s award include:
Toshi Suzuki
Co-founder, producer of Studio Ghibli
Manga creator
Chibi Maruko-chan
Director
Mobile Suit Gundam
Scriptwriter
Dragon Ball Z
Animator
Gauche the Cellist
Film Editor
Akira
Singer
Heidi – A Girl of the Alps opening song
Voice actor
The Legend of the Galactic Heroes‘ Walter von Schönkopf
TAAF also posted a promotional video for next year’s event, narrated by Achievement Award honoree Hazama himself. Nobutaka Yoda (trailer director for your name., Weathering With You, Mr. Osomatsu) produced the video with this year’s winners and next year’s Achievement Awardees.
In the “B version” of the video, Hazama wryly comments that he himself is an awardee.
The Tokyo Anime Award Festival will be held next year in Ikebukuro in Tokyo from March 12 to March 15. The festival will host an exhibition of the works of the eight recipients.
The Tokyo Anime Award Festival launched the Achievement Awards in 2005 (when the festival was then called the Tokyo Anime Award and was part of the Tokyo International Anime Fair event). In 2014, when the Tokyo International Anime Fair and the Anime Contents Expo merged to form AnimeJapan, the festival launched as its own separate event. This year’s physical event was canceled due to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Tokyo Anime Award Festival also grants awards to theatrical and television anime, as well as individual awards for different staff positions.
Sources: 2021 TAAF website, Comic Natalie
