Winners Announced for the 41st Japan Academy Prize

The awards ceremony for the 41st Japan Academy Prize was held last March 2. It confers the Grand Prize from among the “Awards of Excellence” of each category, winners of which were announced last January.

“The Third Murder” hit it big, winning 6 awards, the most for a movie this year including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. Suda Masaki won Best Actor for his role in “Ah, Wilderness Part 1”, who gave his acceptance speech after an 8 second silence. Aoi Yu won her first Best Actress Award for the film “Birds Without Names.” She won the Best Supporting Actress three times. At the 30th Japan Academy Awards, she was conferred the Best Newcomer and Best Supporting Actress awards.

Check out the list of winners below!

Picture of the Year: The Third Murder

I Want To Eat Your Pancreas
Sekigahara
The Miracles of the Namiya General Store
Flower and Sword

Animation of the Year: The Night Is Short, Walk on Girl

Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?
Napping Princess
Mary and the Witch’s Flower
Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter

Director of the Year: Kore-eda Hirokazu (The Third Murder)

Kurosawa Kiyoshi (Before We Vanish)
Shinohara Tetsuo (Flower and Sword)
Harada Masato (Sekigahara)
Hiroki Ryuichi (The Miracles of the Namiya General Store)

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Suda Masaki (Ah, Wilderness Part 1)

Oizumi Yo (The Detective Is in the Bar 3)
Okada Junichi (Sekigahara)
Sato Takeru (The 8 Year Engagement)
Fujiwara Tatsuya (Memoirs of a Murderer)

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Aoi Yu (Birds Without Names)

Aragaki Yu (Mix.)
Tsuchiya Tao (The 8 Year Engagement)
Nagasawa Masami (Before We Vanish)
Yoshitaka Yuriko (Yurigokoro)

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Yakusho Koji (The Third Murder)

Nishida Toshiyuki (The Miracles of the Namiya General Store)
Nishimura Masahiko (What a Wonderful Family! II)
Matsuda Ryuhei (The Detective Is in the Bar 3)
Murakami Nijiro (MUKOKU)
Yakusho Koji (Sekigahara)

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: Hirose Suzu (The Third Murder)

Ono Machiko (The Miracles of the Namiya General Store)
Kitagawa Keiko (The Detective Is in the Bar 3)
Natsukawa Yui (What a Wonderful Family! II)
Yakushimaru Hiroko (The 8 Year Engagement)

Newcomer Awards

Nakajo Ayami (Let’s Go, JETS! From Small Town Girls to U.S. Champions?!)
Hamabe Minami (I Want To Eat Your Pancreas)
Kitamura Takumi (I Want To Eat Your Pancreas)
Takeuchi Ryoma (Teiichi: Battle of Supreme High)

The rest of the categories can be viewed at the Japan Academy Prize official site.

Best Screenplay: Kore-eda Hirokazu (The Third Murder)
Best Art Direction: Kurata Tomoko (Flower and Sword)
Best Cinematography: Shibanushi Takahide (Sekigahara)
Best Lighting Direction: Miyanishi Takaaki (Sekigahara)
Best Sound Recording: Yano Masato (Sekigahara)
Best Film Editing: Kore-eda Hirokazu (The Third Murder)
Best Music Award: Suzuki Keiichi (Outrage Final Chapter)
Best Foreign Langauge Film: La La Land