6 Note Articles That People Challenging the Creative Awards 2026 Should Read

The Creative Awards 2026 have been officially announced.

This is the fifth year of the Creative Awards, and I have been participating since the second one (2023). And I have been rejected every single time. Grr! So frustrating!

I have repeated trial and error, trying different approaches and changing tactics, saying this and that, and putting in effort to win a media award, telling myself, "This year, this year for sure." And for 2026, now that it's been announced, I'm sending this out with extra exclamation marks: "THIS YEAR FOR SURE!!!!!!!!!!"

And the question I hit every year is,

"So, what kind of effort should I actually make?"

That is the question.

Of course, since I haven't won a media award, I don't have a clear answer. And I'm certainly not a professional.

In that case, why not ask the winners and professionals??

So, as a Creative Award ambassador who loves the Creative Awards and is loved by them (in other words, just a party guy), I would like to introduce six articles that I highly recommend you read if you are going to challenge the Creative Awards.

By the way, while this article is free to read in its entirety, some of the articles I introduce are paid content.
Personally, I believe that if you are stingy about spending a few hundred yen per article, you will never reach the level of winning an award, so this article is truly for those who are serious.

1. Mika the Office Worker

First, an article by Mika the Office Worker, who won the Asahi Shimbun Publishing Award in the Essay Category of the Creative Awards 2025.

As a previous winner and because the article was posted right after the awards ceremony, the freshness of the information and the level of enthusiasm are on another level.
Since the winning entry was a refined version of an article that had previously been rejected, it is both reproducible and persuasive.

If you are aiming to win in the essay category, you should read this without making any excuses.

2. Hasutsuka-san

Next, an article by Hasutsuka-san, who was selected in the Food Category of the Creative Awards 2025.

Rather than specific methods, this article focuses on the mindset required to win, based on their own experience.
Since it is written by Hasutsuka-san, who has been applying and analyzing since the first awards in 2022, it is highly persuasive and will change the way you look at the Creative Awards.

Reading this or not will surely make a big difference.

3. Noyagi-san

This article by Noyagi, who won the Best Reviewer Award for two consecutive years at the Creative Awards 2024 and 2025, is a lighthearted piece aimed more at those who enjoy the process.

The tips learned from an incredible volume of reading—100 articles every year—are a huge opportunity for those struggling with the thought, "My likes and views just aren't growing..."
It makes you realize that reading is just as important as writing, making it a must-read for note creators.

It is full of content and written in a very easy-to-read style, so I highly recommend this article for Creative Awards beginners! Definitely check it out!

4. Rinko Akiya-san (Part 1)

From here on, these are recommended articles for novelists.

Rinko Akiya-san, known for "What Nurse Uzuki Sees," which won the Bessatsu Bungeishunju Award in the Work Novel category of the Creative Awards 2023, wrote this article right after the start of the Creative Awards 2024.Rinko Akiya wrote this article right after the start of the Creative Awards 2024.

Since it's the raw voice of a winner, you won't lose anything by reading it, and the article from a distinguished novelist who has published seven books (with an eighth coming soon) in these two years carries a different kind of weight.

I also intend to work hard on my novels this year, so I plan to reread this many times.

5. Rinko Akiya-san (Part 2)

Another article by Rinko Akiya-san. Because it's just so incredibly useful.

This is an archive-style article that compiles pieces related to events and other things Akiya-san has been involved in the past.

She says, "The stories from senior authors like Hotate Shinkawa and Yujiro Nakayama are very educational," and I think gaining the perspective of professional authors is quite an advantage.

6. Tsukurigoto-san

Finally, an article by the content production company Tsukurigoto.

It starts with questions like "What is a plot in the first place?," which is great because it caters to novel beginners.
It even provides templates and samples, making it an impeccable article to use as teaching material.

It might be a good idea to start by writing a novel while using this article as a reference.

Thank you for reading until the end!

Let's submit entries to the 2026 Creative Awards, write plenty of reviews, and make this event more exciting than ever before!!!!!!!!!!

(The End)