The results of the international media competition, the New York Festivals® TV & Film Awards 2026, were announced on Friday, May 22 (JST). Gold Tower award went to 1995: Voices from the Front Lines – 30 Years Since the Tokyo Subway Sarin Attack (Documentary: Docudrama).
Silver Tower awards went to The Nonfiction: For Mom, With Love (Documentary: Social Issues) and Cracking the Case: New Testimonies and Evidence in the Setagaya Family Murder (News Program: News Documentary/Special).
Bronze Tower award went to A Kabuki Legacy: Keeping a Father’s Promise (Documentary: The Arts).
Also this year, The Nonfiction: The Struggle of Ukrainian Evacuees (Documentary: International Affairs) was named a Finalist, while Cracking the Case: New Testimonies and Evidence in the Setagaya Family Murder was also selected as a Finalist for Documentary: INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM category.
Since 1957, New York Festivals has set the benchmark for honoring creative content in all forms celebrating the most exceptional including advertising, television, film, radio and digital content. Partnered with the United Nations, the awards honor creativity and storytelling from around the world. It is widely recognized as a prestigious global award attracting creators and production teams. This year, entries were submitted from more than 40 countries and regions. The Storytellers Gala was held as a virtual ceremony on the competition’s official website starting at 7:00 AM on Friday, May 22 (JST) with awards including Gold, Silver, and Bronze Towers presented to the most outstanding works. 1995: Voices from the Front Lines – 30 Years Since the Tokyo Subway Sarin Attack (aired on Friday, March 21, 2025) received its first international accolade, winning the Gold Tower. This marks Fuji TV’s first-ever Gold Tower win in the Docudrama category. The Nonfiction (airs every Sunday from 14:00) has now been honored for the eight consecutive years since 2019, marking another remarkable achievement for the long-running documentary series.
■1995: Voices from the Front Lines – 30 Years Since the Tokyo Subway Sarin Attack
Takahiro Yamazaki (Producer, Fuji Television Network, Inc.) comments:
This work carefully retraces the events of the day of the unprecedented chemical terrorist attack, while shedding light on the reality of the life-saving efforts carried out under extreme circumstances. We are deeply honored that a work based on an incident Japan must never forget has received such recognition. We would also like to once again express our sincere gratitude to everyone who cooperated with our reporting and shared their experiences and thoughts during the production process.
■The Nonfiction: For Mom, With Love
Masahiro Yamamoto (Program Director, Fuji Television Network, Inc.) comments:
There could be no greater honor for us if this program inspires even one viewer to think, ‘I’ll try taking a step forward.’ We would also like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the families who shared their deeply personal stories with us for this production.
Yojiro Nishimura (Chief Producer, Fuji Television Network, Inc.) comments:
We are truly honored that this program — a rare documentary record unlike anything previously seen in international journalism, following a family’s decision to choose euthanasia and the days that followed — has received such high recognition. This award also marks an extraordinary milestone for The Nonfiction series, which has now been honored for eight consecutive years. We hope to continue creating compelling documentaries that resonate with audiences around the world.
■Cracking the Case: New Testimonies and Evidence in the Setagaya Family Murder
Haruka Jyoho (Producer, Fuji Television Network, Inc.) comments:
We are truly grateful and deeply honored to receive this international recognition. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to everyone who has supported us. We produced this program with two main objectives: to conduct a thorough re-examination based on our own exclusive information and uncover a new profile of the perpetrator, and to offer proposals on what is most needed for the investigation going forward. We believe that the most crucial element in moving closer to solving long-term unsolved cases is ensuring that reporting in pursuit of the truth never ceases. We will continue our investigative work and strive to uncover new facts.
■A Kabuki Legacy: Keeping a Father’s Promise
Akira Nishimura (Chief Producer, Fuji Television Network, Inc.) comments:
We are extremely proud that the Nakamuraya documentary series, which has shared the beauty of Kabuki for more than 35 years, has received this international honor. Productions centered on Kabuki — one of Japan’s most treasured traditional performing arts — continue to attract strong global interest. The story of this remarkable family, and the documentary series itself, will continue, and we hope audiences will keep following their journey for years to come.
■New York Festivals® TV & Film Awards (Official Website)
https://tvfilm.newyorkfestivals.com/pages/About