Opportunities for book and film adaptations from publishers and TV stations! Call for entries for Japan's largest contest, the #CreativeAwards2026
Works posted on note are appearing in bookstores and being broadcast on television. The Creative Awards, which have supported such "reaching the audience" moments, have received a total of approximately 170,000 entries over the past four years, with 32 works achieving media adaptation.
And this year, we are co-hosting the 5th "Creative Awards 2026" with the story submission site TALES. The submission period is from April 8 (Wed) to July 8 (Wed).
This year, 34 media outlets across a wide range of genres, including literary editorial departments, business magazines, lifestyle magazines, TV stations, manga apps, and web media, will participate in the selection process. All genres are eligible, including novels, essays, manga, recipes, and business.
As a related project, we will also hold events featuring guest creators who are active on the front lines.
Your work might become the "next big book." Whether you are thinking of applying or want to support works by reading them, please join us.
Creative Awards 2026 Schedule
Submission period: April 8, 2026 (Wed) 11:00 to July 8, 2026 (Wed) 23:59
Reader support period: April 8, 2026 (Wed) 11:00 to July 31, 2026 (Fri) 23:59
Intermediate announcement: Early September 2026
Final results announcement & Award ceremony: Early November 2026
Sponsoring Media
For each category, 34 media outlets will participate in the selection. Grand prize-winning works will be assigned an editor and aim for publication in magazines/media, book adaptation, serialization, or film adaptation.
Asahi Shimbun Publications, Amuse Creative Studio, Impress, Hachimitsu Comic Essay (Overlap), KADOKAWA Well-being Editorial Department, KADOKAWA Education Editorial Department, Kadokawa Horror Bunko (KADOKAWA), Da Vinci Web (KADOKAWA), Dengeki Bunko (KADOKAWA), MediaWorks Bunko (KADOKAWA), Lettuce Club (KADOKAWA LifeDesign), Weekly Shonen Magazine Editorial Department (Kodansha), Palcy (Kodansha), Kobunsha, iism (Succeed), Shueisha Bunko (Shueisha), Digital Margaret Editorial Department (Shueisha), Shufunotomo, Shoeisha, OZmagazine/OZcomics/OZbooks (Starts Publishing), Diamond, Discover 21, TV Tokyo, Toyo Keizai, HarperCollins Japan, Film Art, ESSE (Fusosha), SPA! (Fusosha), Futabasha Literary Publishing Department, President Online (President Inc.), Bungeishunju, Poplar Publishing General Books Editorial Department, Rights, LINE Manga (LINE Digital Frontier)
For details on the types of works each editorial department is looking for and submission formats, please see the special website.
Categories
This year, we are accepting entries in the following 12 categories.
Submission methods and application rules vary depending on the category and submission route. Please see the following article for detailed information.
Works that do not fall into a specific genre are also welcome in the '#AllCategory' section. We accept any genre or format, including music, photography, and video.
Previously, media partners did not participate in the selection for the All Category section, but this year, sponsoring media will also take part in the selection process. Works chosen for the Grand Prize may lead to developments such as book adaptations.
Additionally, for works selected for the 'note Award' by the note management office, we will provide support such as introductions to our partner organizations through the note Creator Support Program.
Awards and Prize Money
1. Grand Prize (a few winners per media)
Main Prize: Commemorative gift
Supplementary Prize: 100,000 yen cash
A few winners will be selected for each media partner. Winning works will be assigned a representative from the selecting media to discuss publication in their media (web media, magazines), book adaptation, serialization, or video adaptation. The handling of winning works varies by media, so please check the special page for details.
2. note Award (a few winners)
Main Prize: Commemorative gift
Supplementary Prize: 100,000 yen cash
The note management office will select a few winners from the works submitted to the '#AllCategory' section. Winning works will receive support, such as introductions to media, through the note Creator Support Program.
3. Selected Entry (a few winners)
Main Prize: Commemorative gift
Supplementary Prize: 10,000 yen cash
Selected regardless of category. Some winners may also be assigned a media representative.
4. Reader's Award (a few winners)
Main Prize: Commemorative gift
Supplementary Prize: 10,000 yen cash
Selected regardless of category, a few works that were highly popular with readers will be chosen based on a comprehensive assessment of factors such as the number of 'likes,' comments, and completion rates.
5. Reviewer's Award (a few winners)
Prize: 10,000 yen cash
Winners will be selected from those who post their thoughts on entries for the Creative Award on note or share them on X with the hashtag "#CreativeAwardImpressions".
Selection Process
・Entries in all categories will undergo a preliminary screening by the Creative Award Secretariat.
・Following this, entries for the "#AllCategory" will be judged by the note Secretariat and participating media, while entries for other categories will be judged by their respective media to determine the winners.
・During the selection process, the level of reader support (comprehensively judged by factors such as the number of 'likes', comments, and completion rates) will also be taken into account.
Application Guidelines
・You may submit two or more works.
・You cannot submit the same work to multiple categories.
・The applicant's background, such as whether they are a professional or amateur, does not matter.
・Works previously posted on note should be formatted according to the submission requirements for each category before applying. Articles published before the call for entries began are also eligible for selection if they follow the submission format.
・Works previously published by the individual on other posting sites, social media, or in doujinshi are also eligible for submission.
・Works that have already been published in commercial magazines, on commercial websites, or as books are not eligible for selection.
・Works that have won other contests in the past are eligible for submission as long as they have not been commercialized.
・If you are considering accepting an award or signing a commercialization contract for another contest after submitting your work, please contact the Creative Award Secretariat (creativeaward@note.jp) with the name of the company and the details (book adaptation, comic adaptation, etc.). If it is discovered that you have won another contest without prior notice, your work may be excluded from selection. For other questions, please contact us via the "Inquiry Form" on the help page.
・The copyright of the submitted work belongs to the creator.
・Please ensure your submission complies with copyright law. For details, please check "Copyright concepts to support creation".
・The Creative Award Secretariat may remove hashtags from articles that are unrelated to the submission requirements.
・The handling of personal information follows our Privacy Policy. Please check it before applying.
About Selection and Winning Works
・Please note that we cannot respond to inquiries regarding selection criteria or results.
・Works that do not comply with the Terms of Service and application guidelines will be excluded from selection. Please note that we will not contact you individually in such cases.
・Only works that do not infringe, or are not suspected of infringing, on the copyrights or other rights of third parties are eligible for submission. If you receive allegations of plagiarism or similar issues from a third party, you must handle them yourself.
・If a work is found to be in violation of the Terms of Service or application guidelines of note or TALES, the award may be revoked even after the selection process.
・Please keep your submitted work public until the selection results are announced, even after the application period has ended. Works that are made private or deleted during the selection period may be excluded from consideration.
・Winners will be notified via the email address registered on note (sender email address: creativeaward@note.jp). If we cannot reach you within 10 days of the email being sent (scheduled for October), the award will be revoked.
・Specific details and procedures for media publication, book adaptation, or video adaptation (including royalties and usage fees) will be decided through separate consultation after the award is granted. For those under 18, parental consent will be required.
・Even in the case of media publication, book adaptation, or video adaptation, the copyright of the winning work remains with the winner.
・You agree to grant note, TALES, and related sponsoring media free usage rights for the purpose of announcing and promoting the winning works. In such cases, we may make modifications for layout purposes.
・Please keep the submitted work public even if the winning work is adapted into a book or media.
・You may use your award-winning status widely, such as in your profile or resume, or for introducing and promoting your work. We also welcome articles sharing the process of creating the winning work or reflecting on the experience of winning. However, please refrain from any communication or inappropriate use that would undermine the credibility of this award.
Frequently Asked Questions
For frequently asked questions regarding how to apply and the selection process, please see the following help page.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Creative Award