Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine proudly unveiled the esteemed panel of judges for the Jump Sports Manga Award on Monday. This year, the panel is graced by the presence of renowned figures such as Slam Dunk’s Takehiko Inoue, Eyeshield 21’s Riichirō Inagaki, and Kuroko’s Basketball’s Tadatoshi Fujimaki, adding a touch of prestige to the competition.
Notably, this year’s Jump Sports Manga Award has made history by welcoming the first-ever participation of a U.S. Major League Baseball athlete, adding a unique twist to the competition. Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will also lend his expertise to the esteemed Jump Sports Manga Award judging panel.
Ohtani was made a judge because the company wanted a top athlete on the panel and according to the company, Ohtani gladly accepted the request. His unique perspective as a professional athlete and manga enthusiast will be invaluable in evaluating the entries.
The other three judges are manga artists and authors: Takehiko Inoue of Slam Dunk, Riichiro Inagaki, the original author of Eyeshield 21, and Tadatoshi Fujimaki of Kuroko’s Basketball. They will be evaluating the entries based on criteria such as originality, storytelling, character development, and artistic quality. The editorial department of Shueisha Inc.’s Shukan Shonen Jump weekly magazine will hold the award.
The contest warmly welcomes all, from seasoned professionals to budding amateurs, to share their unique perspectives through sports manga. The competition seeks entries that ‘aim to give birth to life-changing moments for readers,’ Offering a canvas of 15-55 pages for creativity to flourish.
The Jump Sports Manga Award presents a generous prize structure, a testament to the value it places on the contributions of all participants. The winner will be rewarded with 1,000,000 yen (about US$6,400), semi-finalists will earn 500,000 yen (about US$3,200), honorable mentions will be awarded 300,000 yen (about US$2,000), finalists will be granted 50,000 yen (about US$320), and promising entries will be recognized with 10,000 yen (about US$64).
Submissions are open from May 27 through October 31. Results will be announced in the second half of December in Weekly Shonen Jump.
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