The 1st Cinema Awards ceremony was held on May 12, 2026. In the Anime Film category of this new award, the film ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza’s Return’ was selected as the number one winner. Voice actors Shimono Hiro (Zenitsu Agatsuma) and Hayami Saori (Shinobu Kocho) attended the ceremony and expressed their joy.
The Cinema Awards is a new award established by the film industry, voted on by staff working in cinemas nationwide. It aims to promote cinema attendance and further revitalize film culture, with the intention of choosing films that, precisely because they work on the front lines, deserve to be seen by more audiences.
At this inaugural ceremony, the Demon Slayer film achieved the feat of taking first place in the Anime Film category. Shimono Hiro and Hayami Saori, who voice Zenitsu Agatsuma and Shinobu Kocho respectively, appeared on stage.
Shimono said, “I’m truly happy that ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1’ has been chosen. Earlier, LiLiCo-san mentioned that there were many repeat viewers, and we’ve received a lot of comments saying, ‘Each time I watch, I discover something new.’ While the two of us are here as cast representatives, this film has been watched by so many people not only because of us but also because of the spirit of many staff members who worked to enhance it through visuals, music, and various other aspects. I feel that spirit resonated with everyone. Watching it in the theater ourselves, we were reminded of the moving and immersive experience that only a cinema can provide. I’m glad to be involved in such a wonderful work.” He expressed gratitude to everyone involved in the film’s release.
Hayami also commented, “I’m truly honored to have been chosen in this way by the cinema staff who deliver films to audiences every day. As Shimono-san mentioned, I’ve also heard from many people saying, ‘I watched it multiple times.’ I think this achievement is thanks to the audiences who wanted to visit the cinema repeatedly and the cinema staff who connected them with this film. We came here representing Chapter 1, but there will be a Chapter 2 and more to come. The battle is not over yet, so I hope you will continue to visit the cinema and see it through to the end.” Her words stirred the venue.
Later, both posted messages and off-shot photos on their official X (formerly Twitter) accounts. Shimono wrote, “At today’s 1st Cinema Awards, the Anime Film category’s ‘Must-See in Theaters!’ first place went to ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza’s Return’! Yay! Thank you to all the cinema staff!” along with a photo of him and Hayami joyfully celebrating together. View Shimono’s post
Fans reacted to his post with comments such as, “Congratulations! Of course, Demon Slayer is the best!” “I’m so happy! Congratulations!” “Such a wonderful smiling photo!” “Zenitsu was incredibly cool!” and “I was blown away by Shimono’s acting skills… I love Zenitsu!”
Hayami also posted, “I attended the ceremony with Shimono-san. Thank you to the cinema staff for your votes! And it turns out a re-screening in theaters has been decided!! Please enjoy it as many times as you like (Hayami).” She also mentioned the re-screening. View Hayami’s post
Comments on her post included, “Congratulations!! So happy about the re-screening!” “Re-screening decided?! Yay! I can’t wait for the details!” “Wait, what?! Re-screening?!” “That’s great news!” and “The two of you in Zenitsu colors and Shinobu colors were gorgeous!!!!”
As part of the 1st Cinema Awards, the first-place winning films in each category will be re-screened. The re-screening period for ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza’s Return’ is scheduled from June 12 (Fri) to June 18 (Thu), 2026. The participating theaters will be announced later, so stay tuned for updates.
