Applications for our 2026 Masquerade are now open! We're looking forward to seeing all your creativity, but we have a limited number of spots available, so the sooner you apply, the better! www.animazement.com/masquerade/

Please welcome director Shinichiro Watanabe as a guest for Animazement 2026. As a director he has worked on such titles as Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Space Dandy, Kids on the Slope, and Lazarus. He has also worked as a screenwriter and a music producer. www.animazement.com/guests/shini...

Attention fan panelists! There are just two weeks left to submit your panels for this year. Submissions close on March 29th at 11:59PM. We can't wait to see your amazing ideas! www.animazement.com/panels/

We are excited to welcome voice actor Toshio Furukawa to Animazement 2026! He is best known for his roles as Kai Shiden in Mobile Suit Gundam, Piccolo in Dragon Ball, Ataru Moroboshi in Urusei Yatsura, and Portgas D. Ace in One Piece animazement.com/guests/toshi...

We are also excited to welcome voice actor Shino Kakinuma to Animazement 2026! She is best known for her roles as Naru Osaka in Sailor Moon, Videl in Dragon Ball Kai, and more! animazement.com/guests/shino...

We are excited to bring back our Toy Photography Contest for 2026! Check out our page for more info, then get out there and take some amazing photos! www.animazement.com/toyphotocont...

Mark your calendars, cosplayers! Applications for our Masquerade will open a week from today on March 16! So get those last minute details settled and get ready to show us what you've got! Applications for Cosplay Craftsmanship will open the following week. We can't wait to see your amazing cosplays

We are excited to welcome Shihori as this year's musical guest for Animazement 2026! She’s best known for "Holy Steel," the fan theme song for "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure” and the theme songs for many popular games like League of Legends. www.animazement.com/guests/shiho...

Applications for our Karaoke Contest are now open! We've made some changes for 2026, so be sure to read the contest rules before you apply! We can't wait to see you perform! www.animazement.com/karaoke/

Please welcome Aaron Dismuke as a guest for AZ 2026! His voice acting credits include Alphonse Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist, Tamaki Amajiki in My Hero Academia, Senku Ishigami in Dr. Stone, and many others! www.animazement.com/guests/aaron...

Please join us in welcoming Kamen Casey as a guest for AZ 2026! He has voiced characters in anime including Blue Lock, One Piece, I'll Become a Villainess, and more! www.animazement.com/guests/kamen...

Please join us in welcoming Sarah Wiedenheft as a guest for AZ 2026! You've heard her voice in numerous anime including Chainsaw Man, Dragon Ball Super, and Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, among many others. www.animazement.com/guests/sarah...

AMV creators, get ready! Submissions are now open for our 2026 AMV Contest. You'll have until May 1st to submit your entries. We can't wait to see your creations! www.animazement.com/amv-contest/

Please welcome Lisa Ortiz to AZ 2026! Lisa is a voice actor, director and producer. She's currently the director of Pokémon Journeys and Pokémon Horizons, and has voiced dozens of Pokémon. You've also heard her as many characters including Lina Inverse & Amy Rose www.animazement.com/guests/lisa-...

Please join us to welcome voice actor Reagan Murdock as a guest for AZ 2026! You've heard his voice as Aki Hayakawa from Chainsaw Man, Shion from Hell’s Paradise, among others! www.animazement.com/guests/reaga...

Please join us to welcome YouTuber and content creator Norm Nakamura for AZ 2026. He can usually be found capturing the many sides of Japan on his YouTube channel Tokyo Lens. www.animazement.com/guests/norm-...

We are pleased to welcome two talented guests from the CG production company QREAZY.

Please join us in welcoming voice actor Hiroaki Hirata to AZ2026! You've heard his voice as Sanji in One Piece, Kotetsu Kaburagi in Tiger & Bunny, and most recently, Beryl Gardinant in From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman, among many other anime and games www.animazement.com/guests/hiroa...

Please join us in welcoming back biwa player Hakusui Ogiyama to AZ 2026! She specializes in Satsuma Biwa and performs both traditional Japanese classical music and more modern songs. www.animazement.com/guests/hakus...

Please join us in welcoming back sanshin player Kaizan Nitta to AZ 2026! Born on Okinoerabu Island, which is just north of Okinawa, he learned to play the sanshin. He performs a wide range of genres from traditional to Okinawan pop. www.animazement.com/guests/kaiza...

We are pleased to welcome back Koji Nagai to AZ 2026. He has produced many works for TV including Ace Attorney, Space Brothers, Kekkaishi, Yashahime: Princess Half Demon, and My Hero Academia. www.animazement.com/guests/koji-...

We are always pleased to welcome back Kazushige Yusa as a guest for AZ 2026. He is a 2D and 3D animation writer, director, and illustrator and he brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in the animation industry. www.animazement.com/guests/kazus...

Attention Idols! Our sign ups for this year's Idol Showcase are now live. Follow the link below to find out how to sign up. We can't wait to see you on our stage! www.animazement.com/idol-showcase/

Rakugo comedian, Someta Hayashiya, also returns for Animazement 2026. Rakugo is a comic storytelling art that has been entertaining the Japanese for over 400 years and you won't want to miss his shows! www.animazement.com/guests/somet...

Etiquette teacher and kimono expert, Etsuko Kawamura will return to Animazement in 2026. From Japanese tea to traditional kimono, she has taught us so much about Japanese culture. We can't wait to see what we'll learn this year! www.animazement.com/guests/etsuk...

Do you have a favorite anime you want to talk about? An anime game show you want to host? Something about Japan you love and can't wait to share? Now's the time! Fan Panel applications are open through March 29th! www.animazement.com/panels/

We're very excited to announce that in 2026 the Animazement Idol Showcase will be an official convention event! Sign ups will open on February 1st. You can check out the link below for rules and information. www.animazement.com/idol-showcase/

Happy New Year to you all! We can't wait to see you in 2026!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and happy holiday season from our AZ family to yours. We hope your holiday is filled with joy, fun, and lots of anime goodies to unwrap!

Attention Artists! Applications for our 2026 Artists' Alley are now OPEN! Follow the link below for information on how to apply. You've got until 12am on December 29th to apply. As always, we look forward to seeing all of your outstanding portfolios! www.animazement.com/artists-alley/

Attention Artists! Mark your calendars and get your portfolios ready. Applications for our 2026 Artists Alley will open on Monday, December 15th and will remain open for the following two weeks. Visit our website to learn everything you'll need to know to apply! www.animazement.com/artists-alley/

UPDATE: The Residence Inn link is now up and running. We're sorry again for the inconvenience.

Reservation blocks for our convention hotels are now open! PLEASE NOTE! There will be some delay in opening reservations for the Residence Inn Raleigh Downtown as we work on correcting an issue with the reservation link. We apologize for the inconvenience. www.animazement.com/hotels/

Attention Vendors. Tomorrow is the last day you can apply for our 2026 Dealers' Room. Don't miss the deadline tomorrow night at 11:59pm. www.animazement.com/dealers-room/

Mark your calendars. Hotel reservation blocks will open for AZ 2026 on Tuesday, November 11th at 9am. While you wait, you can check our website for available hotels and room rates. www.animazement.com/hotels/

Attention Vendors. Applications for our 2026 Dealers' Room will open on October 1st and will remain open throughout the month of October. You can find all the info you need to apply on our page. www.animazement.com/dealers-room/

NEW EPISODE! Another great year of Animazement has come and gone and Bill, Austin, and Tori are here to tell you all about it. Pay no mind that the convention ended almost a month and a half ago! thirdimpactanime.com/2025/07/15/t...

While at @animazement.bsky.social, I spoke with the fine folks of Animator Supporters about their efforts to help new talent navigate the industry in the face of low pay and toxic working conditions. They didn’t sugarcoat it; the industry is hostile to animators and it’s been that way for too long.

I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to interview some amazing people for ANN, but this just might be my favorite one While at @animazement.bsky.social, I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Hiroshi Nagahama about his anime career, love of action figures, and how those passions intertwine

The North Carolina Symphony invites the Animazement community to attend their special event Video Games Live™: Bonus Round! Follow the link below to find out how to access the presale! www.animazement.com/2025/06/18/p...

If you compare the anime industry to a historical document, Masao Maruyama has been around since ink was first put to parchment—or, in his case, paint to celluloid.

The One Piece and Tiger & Bunny actor spills the beans on Tiger & Bunny 2 production and a whole season worth of scripts that weren't used.

Did you watch one of our contests this past weekend, but miss the announcement of the winners? Check out the list here to find out. Thank you to everyone who participated in our contests this year! You did an outstanding job! www.animazement.com/2025/05/28/2...

It's been a couple days since we were all together, and we hope everyone has had a chance to get some good rest and indulge in sharing some amazing memories. We already can't wait until next year! This year, we were joined by 11,617 of you over the course of the weekend, and (cont.)

Are you already ready for next year? Now's the time to take advantage of our post-con special! From now through June 7th, get your 2026 full weekend admission for just $50! az2026.eventbrite.com

Come and join us in Ballroom AB for Closing Ceremony. Instead of good-bye, let's say: "Until next year!"

Starting at 1:30 in Exhibit Hall C, don't miss our traditional Japanese concert! This concert is open to the public! If you're not an AZ badgeholder, please enter through the McDowell St entrance and proceed to Exhibit Hall C.

We know there's still fun to be had today, but once you've made your way safely home, please take a moment to fill out our Feedback form. Your feedback is what helps us make Animazement a success every year! Tell us what you liked and how we can do better. forms.gle/SBS2wT61rf9J...

It's Sunday, and you know what that means! It's Cosplay Chess time! Join us to watch our chessmasters in a battle for the ages! Who will win? Find out at 10am in Ballroom AB.

Good morning everyone! Welcome to day 3 of Animazement!