TL;DR, Crunchyroll and the Museum of the Moving Image will host a free live Anime Awards 2026 watch party in MoMI’s Redstone Theater on May 23. Doors open 3:00 a.m. ET, pre-show at 4:00 a.m., main event at 5:00 a.m., with limited first-come seating and member priority RSVP.
Crunchyroll and the Museum of the Moving Image will host a free Anime Awards 2026 watch party in MoMIs Redstone Theater on Saturday, May 23.
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main event, paired with a gallery program running May 15 to October 12.
What the Anime Awards 2026 watch party is and when it happens
Crunchyroll and Museum of the Moving Image are teaming up to mark the 10th annual Anime Awards with a free live celebration in New York. The museum’s grand Redstone Theater will host the May 23 watch party, and admission is free for New York audiences. Space is limited, and seating is first come, first served.
m. ET so you can get settled before the pre-show and main ceremony. This Anime Awards 2026 watch party gives fans a way to experience the broadcast together.
Plan around the Redstone Theater schedule. m. m.
While you wait, you can check out the museum’s gallery program, grab refreshments, and take cosplay photos. MoMI and Crunchyroll members are eligible for priority RSVP access. Details beyond these basics are not yet confirmed.
There is more on site than the live feed. From May 15 through October 12, the museum presents Anime’s Ascendant Decade in the Jane Henson Amphitheater. The program features full episodes of series that were nominated for or won Anime Awards from 2017 to today.
Selected episodes will be announced on the MoMI website and will play in a continuous loop over a two-week period. A large mural by Acky Bright will also be on display in the amphitheater, giving fans another reason to explore during their visit.
How to attend the Anime Awards 2026 watch party in New York
Entry is simple, but timing matters. m. ET, and seating is first-come first-served.
This free Anime Awards watch party NYC will fill quickly, so arrive early if a preferred seat is important to you.
Priority RSVP is available to MoMI members and Crunchyroll members. The exact Crunchyroll member RSVP process is not yet confirmed, with organizers indicating more details are coming. Treat RSVP as a way to help with entry flow, while admission still depends on capacity the morning of the event.
While you wait, you can browse the in-museum gallery program, grab refreshments, and take cosplay photos. com/crunchyroll-manga-may-18-kodansha-additions/”>Crunchyroll manga additions make for quick reading. m.
m. main event times to pace your arrival.
- Admission: Free and open to the public.
- Entry time: Doors at 3:00 a.m. ET.
- Seating: First-come first-served seating, capacity is limited.
- Priority: MoMI and Crunchyroll member RSVP eligibility.
- Pre-show time: 4:00 a.m. ET.
- Main event: 5:00 a.m. ET start in Redstone Theater.
- On-site options: View the gallery program, refreshments, cosplay photos.
- Location inside: Redstone Theater, staff will direct queues.
- Updates: Watch official channels for RSVP instructions once announced.
What the Anime’s Ascendant Decade gallery at MoMI will show
The museums companion exhibition, Animes Ascendant Decade, runs May 15 to October 12 in the Jane Henson Amphitheater. It presents full episodes from series that were nominated for, or won, Anime Awards from 2017 to today. The selections highlight a wide range of storytelling and style from the past decade.
Screenings loop continuously over two-week windows, with chosen episodes announced on the MoMI website. The MoMI gallery screening program is designed for flexible, drop-in viewing, and watch party guests can sample it during the early-morning window. The format makes it easy to catch portions before or after the live broadcast.
A large Acky Bright mural anchors the Amphitheater display, adding a bold visual backdrop to the screenings. The Acky Bright mural also doubles as a photo spot for visitors moving between episodes. For print-side context on recent accolades, browse the latest Kodansha award winners.
- Dates: May 15 through October 12.
- Venue: Jane Henson Amphitheater inside MoMI.
- Content: Full episodes from Anime Awards nominees and winners, 2017 to today.
- Announcements: Specific episodes will be posted on the MoMI website.
- Schedule: Episodes play in a continuous loop over two-week periods.
- Access: Portions viewable during the watch party morning.
- Visuals: Large on-site mural by Acky Bright.
- Experience: Casual, come-and-go seating suited to sampling multiple shows.
- Tie-in: Extends the awards celebration across the season, not just one morning.
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Source: Crunchyroll