Record-Breaking Entries! KADOKAWA Announces Final Results of Japan's Largest Novel Contest, 'Kakuyomu Contest 11'
On May 28, KADOKAWA announced the final results of 'Kakuyomu Contest 11' on its web novel site, Kakuyomu. With a record-breaking 31,961 entries, 82 works and 11 users were awarded, with 64 works slated for commercialization.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 28, 2026 at 12:00
- 🔍 Collected: June 1, 2026 at 01:39 (85h 39m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 1, 2026 at 23:04 (21h 24m after Collected)
KADOKAWA Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President & CEO: Takeshi Natsuno) announced the results of its 'Kakuyomu Contest 11' on the web novel site 'Kakuyomu' on May 28. The contest received a record-breaking 31,961 entries. As a result of the selection process, 82 works and 11 users received awards, with 64 of these works scheduled for commercialization.
The awards include 8 Grand Prizes, 47 Special Prizes, 28 Comic Adaptation Prizes, 1 Professional Writer Prize, 1 MVR (Most Valuable Review) user, and 10 Excellent Review prizes. In the short story category, awards were given for 2 Short Story Prizes, 1 Enjoe Toh Prize, 1 pha Prize, 10 Short Story Special Prizes, and 5 Kakuyomu Next Prizes.
The Kakuyomu Contest is a multi-genre novel competition where winning works are determined through a two-stage selection process: reader popularity voting followed by a joint review by KADOKAWA's 43 novel and comic editorial departments.
The 11th contest accepted entries from December 1, 2025, to February 2, 2026, followed by reader voting until February 9, 2026. The entries consisted of 12,712 long-form works and 19,249 short stories. Grand Prize winners receive a cash prize of 1 million yen and are scheduled for book publication. Special Prize and Comic Adaptation Prize winners will work with their respective editorial departments toward commercialization.
The next 'Kakuyomu Contest 12' has been confirmed, with application guidelines scheduled to be released on the site around autumn 2026.
The awards include 8 Grand Prizes, 47 Special Prizes, 28 Comic Adaptation Prizes, 1 Professional Writer Prize, 1 MVR (Most Valuable Review) user, and 10 Excellent Review prizes. In the short story category, awards were given for 2 Short Story Prizes, 1 Enjoe Toh Prize, 1 pha Prize, 10 Short Story Special Prizes, and 5 Kakuyomu Next Prizes.
The Kakuyomu Contest is a multi-genre novel competition where winning works are determined through a two-stage selection process: reader popularity voting followed by a joint review by KADOKAWA's 43 novel and comic editorial departments.
The 11th contest accepted entries from December 1, 2025, to February 2, 2026, followed by reader voting until February 9, 2026. The entries consisted of 12,712 long-form works and 19,249 short stories. Grand Prize winners receive a cash prize of 1 million yen and are scheduled for book publication. Special Prize and Comic Adaptation Prize winners will work with their respective editorial departments toward commercialization.
The next 'Kakuyomu Contest 12' has been confirmed, with application guidelines scheduled to be released on the site around autumn 2026.
FAQ
Is Kakuyomu popular in Taiwan?
While Kakuyomu is primarily for the Japanese market, its influence on the light novel industry is significant in Taiwan, where Japanese content is highly popular.