Animation Kobe

The Animation Kobe (アニメーション神戸) was an event established by Kobe in 1996 to promote anime and other visual media. The Animation Kobe Awards (アニメーション神戸賞) were given annually until 2015 by Kobe and the Organising Committee to creators and creations.

Event
Animation Kobe was held annually in Kobe from 1996 to 2015. In addition to the awards ceremony, the event held talk shows and screenings of the prize winners. In 2006, the 11th event was carried live on the official website.

Major staff

 * Chairman of the Committee
 * Yasuki Hamano, 1996–2005
 * Akira Kamiya, 2006–2015

The examination was done mainly by a panel of chief editors of magazines covering anime, such as Newtype, Animedia and Animage. Usually, a city employee sent by Kobe City would also participate. The panel voted for one of its members to serve as chairman:
 * Chairman of the examination
 * Nobuo Oda, 1998 – chief editor of Animedia
 * Susumu Asaka, 1999 – chief editor of CD-ROM Fan
 * Toshihiro Fukuoka, 2000 – chief editor of Weekly Ascii
 * Masahito Arinaga, 2001 – chief editor of a new magazine of MediaWorks
 * Akitaro Daichi, 2002–2003 – animation director
 * Kenji Yano, 2004 – chief editor of Newtype
 * Yasushi Nakaji, 2006 – chief editor of Animedia
 * Toshihiro Fukuoka, 2007 – chief editor of Weekly Ascii
 * Isao Fujioka, 2008 – chairman of MdN Corporation

Winners
The committee chooses most of the winners. Only the Animation Kobe Theme Song Award is chosen by fans' votes in the first selection, though the decision is by the committee. Therefore, the tendency of the prize winners is a little different from other prizes by the fans' vote. (See: Animage Grand Prix)

Individual Award
The activities from September of the previous year to August of the event year become objects for the examination. Newcomers expected to have future prominence are noted.

* Watanabe, Okiura, Nagahama, Iso and Katō received the award for their first films as director.

Special Award
Awards for individual(s) or group that contributed to Japanese anime during a long period.

In the first year, the Yomiuri Award was posthumously given to Fujiko F. Fujio who died two months before the event.

Theatrical Film Award
Animation films released in Japan from September of the previous year to August of the event year become candidates. The candidates are selected not only from Japan, but also from other countries. However, the committee sees more importance in a point of view promoting young creators of Japan.

Television Award
The TV animations broadcast in Japan from September of the previous year to August of the event year, excluding rebroadcasts, become candidates. The candidates are selected not only from Japan but also from other countries. However, the committee sees more importance in a point of view promoting young creators of Japan.

Packaged Work Award
The packaged media distributed in Japan from September of the previous year to August of the event year become candidates. The candidates are selected not only from Japan but also from other countries. However, the committee sees more importance in a point of view promoting young creators of Japan.

Network Award
Re-created in 2000 as Network Media Award, the anime-related media making the best use of interactive distribution in Japan from September of the previous year to August of the event year become candidates.

The word Network does not mean only Internet. The candidates are selected not only from Japan but also from other countries. However, the committee sees more importance in a point of view promoting young creators of Japan.

Theme Song Award
The theme songs of either anime or other forms of animated media distributed in Japan from September of the previous year to August of the event year become candidates. The voting by fans is counted, and the five songs with the highest number of votes become the candidates for the final competition. Especially, the committee sees more importance in original songs made for an anime, sung in the 'spirit' of the work.

Only the Theme Song Award is influenced by the fans. This format started from the 4th event. The total number of votes in a year is about 10,000 votes. The result of the vote is also announced on the official sites of Radio Kansai, Anitama.com and the programs of Radio Kansai before the event. Though this is a preliminary vote to reduce the candidates to final, the candidates chosen in first by the vote have always won the award.