KADOKAWA Corporation has announced the second edition of the KADOKAWA World Manga Contest. Submissions are officially open from Monday, 7 September 2026 to Sunday, 28 February 2027. This event is designed as a platform for manga creators worldwide who aspire to become professional manga artists and make their commercial debut in Japan.
The KADOKAWA World Manga Contest is a global talent search that focuses on helping aspiring manga artists have their own manga with the help of professionals in their field and publish under Kadokawa’s brand. The contest was started in 2024 under the name ofThe Wordless World Manga Contest. In 2025, the contest expanded and renamed itself the KADOKAWA World Manga Contest to discover a broader range of works and talent.
The 2026 edition features two main categories: “Manga with Dialogue” and “Wordless Manga”. The dialogue-based category accepts entries in five major languages: Japanese, English, Spanish, French, and Traditional Chinese. All submitted works will be evaluated directly by KADOKAWA’s team of professional editors.
The Gold Prize winner will get a cashprize of USD 10,000. The Silver Prize winner will get USD 5,000. The Bronze Prize winner gets USD 3,000, and USD300 for Honourable Mentions. In addition to cash prizes and an invitation to the awards ceremony in Japan, winners will also get direct guidance from KADOKAWA editorial team to further develop their work toward official serialisation.
Noboru Segawa, Chief Editor of KADOKAWA’s World Manga Editorial team, stated that the contest aims to provide new opportunities for international creators who often face industry limitations back home. One of the previous winners, the Indian manga artist masterlynx, has successfully launched the serialisation of their manga KUNG FU KUNG FOOL on the Kadocomi portal in May 2026.
This competition is open to everyone, whether as an individual or part of a team.There are no rules regarding age, nationality, or professional experience.The winners are scheduled to be revealed in May 2027.
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