is one of Japan's major manga awards, the event is sponsored by the publisher Kodansha. It has been awarded annually for serialized manga since 1977.
Categories
The award is currently awarded in three categories: shōnen, shōjo, and general. The awards began in 1977, initially with categories for shōnen and shōjo. The first award for the general category was in 1982, and the first children's category's award was in 2003. The children's category was merged into the shōnen and shōjo categories starting in 2015.
Each winning work will be honored with a bronze statuette, a certificate, and a prize of 1 million yen (about US$7,500).