Japan's largest creative contest, '#CreativeAwards2026', is now accepting entries! On TALES, you can submit to the Entertainment Original Work category and the Novel category (Mystery/Horror/Romance/Workplace/Fantasy).
Over the past four editions, 32 works have been adapted into media, including book publications, film adaptations, and serializations. Works posted on note and TALES have appeared in bookstores and been broadcast on television. The Creative Awards, which have received a total of approximately 170,000 entries, have made such "reaching the audience" a reality.
We are co-hosting the 5th "Creative Awards 2026" with note. The submission period is from Wednesday, April 8th to Wednesday, July 8th.
As in previous years, TALES is accepting entries for the Entertainment Original Work category and the Novel category (Mystery/Horror/Romance/Workplace/Fantasy). Please refer to the special website below for application guidelines and entry methods.
Creative Awards 2026 Schedule
Submission Period: Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 11:00 AM to Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 11:59 PM
Reader Support Period: Wednesday, April 8, 2026, 11:00 AM to Friday, July 31, 2026, 11:59 PM
Intermediate Announcement: Early September 2026
Final Results Announcement & Award Ceremony: Early November 2026
Participating media for the Entertainment Original Work and Novel categories (Mystery/Horror/Romance/Workplace/Fantasy) available on TALES
<Entertainment Original Work Category>
Amuse Creative Studio, Weekly Shonen Magazine Editorial Department, Digital Margaret Editorial Department, TV Tokyo, HarperCollins Japan, Bungeishunju, LINE Manga
Click here for comments from each media outlet!
<Mystery Novel Category>
Dengeki Bunko, MediaWorks Bunko, Kobunsha, Shueisha Bunko, TV Tokyo, HarperCollins Japan, Futabasha Literature Publishing Department, Bungeishunju, Rights Corp.
Click here for comments from each media outlet!
<Horror Novel Category>
Kadokawa Horror Bunko, Dengeki Bunko, MediaWorks Bunko, Kobunsha, TV Tokyo, HarperCollins Japan, Bungeishunju, Rights Corp.
Click here for comments from each media outlet!
<Romance Novel Category>
Asahi Shimbun Publications, Dengeki Bunko, MediaWorks Bunko, Kobunsha, TV Tokyo, HarperCollins Japan, Futabasha Literature Publishing Department, Bungeishunju
Click here for comments from each media outlet!
<Workplace Novel Category>
Asahi Shimbun Publications, Media Works Bunko, Kobunsha, Shueisha Bunko, Discover 21, HarperCollins Japan, Futabasha Literary Publishing Department, Bungeishunju, Poplar Publishing General Books Editorial Department
Click here for comments from each media outlet!
<Fantasy Novel Category>
Dengeki Bunko, Media Works Bunko, HarperCollins Japan, Bungeishunju, Poplar Publishing General Books Editorial Department, Rights Co., Ltd.
Click here for comments from each media outlet!
Category
The rules for application and submission methods vary by category. For details, please see the special site below.
https://note.com/creative-award
Awards and Prize Money
1. Grand Prize (a few winners per media outlet)
Main Prize: Commemorative gift
Supplementary Prize: 100,000 yen cash
A few winners will be selected for each media outlet. Winning works will be assigned an editor from the selecting media outlet to discuss publication in media (web media, magazines), book publication, serialization, or adaptation. The handling of winning works varies by media, so please see 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 works submitted to the '#AllCategory' category. Winning works will receive support such as being introduced to media through the note Creator Support Program. *Please apply for the '#AllCategory' category via note.
3. Selected Entry (a few winners)
Main Prize: Commemorative gift
Supplementary Prize: 10,000 yen cash
We will select winners regardless of the category. Some winners may be assigned a media representative.
4. Reader Award (a few winners)
Main Prize: Commemorative gift
Supplementary Prize: 10,000 yen cash
Regardless of the category, we will select a few works that have high popularity among readers, comprehensively judging factors such as the number of 'likes', comments, and completion rates.
5. Reviewer Award (a few winners)
Prize: 10,000 yen cash
Selected from those who post their impressions of works submitted to the Creative Award on note with the hashtag '#CreativeAwardImpressions' or share them on X.
https://note.com/notemag/n/n04c6a00b8156
Selection Process
・Works submitted to any category will undergo a primary screening by the Creative Award Management Office.
・After that, works submitted to the '#AllCategory' category will be judged by the note Management Office and participating media, while works in other categories will be judged by each respective media to determine the winning works.
・During the selection process, the popularity during the reader support period (comprehensively judging 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 as an individual.
・You cannot submit the same work to multiple categories.
・The applicant's track record, whether professional or amateur, does not matter.
・Works previously posted on note should be formatted according to the application requirements before submission. Articles published before the start of the call for entries are also eligible for selection if they follow the application format.
・Works previously published by the individual on other posting sites, SNS, or in doujinshi are also eligible for submission.
・Works already published in commercial magazines, 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 with another contest after applying, please contact the Creative Award Management Office (creativeaward@note.jp) with the name of the company and the details (book publication, 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 post content that complies with copyright law. For details, please check 'Copyright concepts to support creativity'.
・The Creative Award Management Office may remove hashtags from submitted articles that are unrelated to the recruitment content.
・The handling of personal information will be in accordance with the Privacy Policy. Please check it before applying.
About Selection and Winning Works
・Please note in advance that we cannot respond to inquiries regarding selection criteria or selection 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 recognized as having the potential to infringe on the copyrights or other rights of third parties can be submitted. If you receive an accusation of plagiarism or similar from a third party, you must handle it yourself as the applicant.
・If you violate the Terms of Service or Application Guidelines of note or TALES, your award may be revoked even after the selection.
・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 selection.
・Winners will be notified via the email address registered on note (sender email address: creativeaward@note.jp). If we cannot contact you within 10 days from the email sending date (scheduled for October), the award will be revoked.
・Specific details and procedures for media publication, book publication, video adaptation, etc. (including royalties and usage fees) will be decided after the award through separate consultation. For those under 18, we will obtain the consent of a guardian.
・Even in the case of media publication, book publication, video adaptation, etc., the copyright of the winning work will be retained by the winner.
・You agree to grant note, TALES, and related sponsoring media the right to use the winning work free of charge for the purpose of announcement and promotion. In such cases, we may make modifications for layout reasons.
・Even if the winning work is published as a book or adapted into media, please keep the submitted work public.
・You can make wide use of your award-winning record, such as listing it in your profile or resume, or introducing and promoting your work. We also welcome articles that look back on the process of creating the winning work or the experience of winning. However, please refrain from making statements that damage the credibility of this award or using it inappropriately.
Frequently Asked Questions
For frequently asked questions about how to apply and the judging process, please see the following help page.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the Creative Award
Link Collection
We will explain the application methods and procedures for '#CreativeAward2026' in an easy-to-understand way!
Featured authors, essayists, and culinary experts will take the stage! Events supporting creativity are being held one after another.