Call for Entries for Japan's Largest Creative Contest, the "Creation Grand Prize 2026," Begins. 32 Works Media-Adapted from Past 4 Contests, Including Books, Films, and Serials.
note and TALES have opened submissions for the "Creation Grand Prize 2026," one of Japan's largest creative contests. Now in its fifth year, 34 media companies, including publishers, will participate in the judging. The event aims to create opportunities for creators to debut and thrive, thereby vitalizing the Japanese content market.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 8, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 8, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 20, 2026 at 18:37 (295h 6m after Collected)
note and the story-telling platform TALES will begin accepting submissions for Japan's largest creative contest, the "Creation Grand Prize 2026," starting Wednesday, April 8th. This marks the fifth time the event has been held.
As a venue for the birth of the next big hit and a place that supports the creative endeavors of all who continue to write, we will back all kinds of creators.
The Creation Grand Prize has achieved media adaptation for 32 works over the past four events, including books, films, and serializations. The number of media adaptations has increased by about 1.8 times in the year since the last contest, and its momentum is growing. The number of submissions is also on the rise, with a record high of 69,808 works in 2025, bringing the cumulative total to 173,387 works (from 2022 to 2025).
This time, 34 media outlets, including publishers and TV stations, will participate in the judging. Related events with distinguished guests are also planned. During the event period, talk events will be held with essayist Honoka Nagase, writer/essayist Yuki Ishikawa, soup creator Kaoru Ariga, culinary expert Akari Hasegawa, novelist Satoshi Ogawa, and QuizKnock writer Reita Shiga.
## Purpose and Background
The domestic digital content market has already reached a scale of 6 trillion yen (*), and it is attracting attention from the media as a place where hit works are born. The genres of works developed into books and films have expanded from initial light novels and comics to general literature.
On note, over 380 books have been published as a result of creator posts. With over 70,000 diverse works posted daily, we have leveraged this platform strength to actively collaborate with media for many years. The Creation Grand Prize was started as a place for creators aiming for a professional debut and to broaden their scope of activities to meet numerous media outlets at once, in order to accelerate this trend.
Through past events, we have realized the importance of the Creation Grand Prize's role in "supporting those who continue to write," in addition to its original mission of discovering talent. It is an opportunity to release one's first work to the world. It is a place where the creative path does not end after debut. It is a chance for those who have once given up on creating to start writing again. This time, to further embody this sentiment, we will roll out events and measures to support creators' creative activities throughout the event period.
* Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "令和7年版 情報通信白書 (2025 White Paper on Information and Communications in Japan)"
## Works Born from the Creation Grand Prize
The genres of works born through the Creation Grand Prize are diverse, ranging from novels to essays and comics. To date, we have achieved media adaptation for 32 works, including books, films, and serializations.
As a venue for the birth of the next big hit and a place that supports the creative endeavors of all who continue to write, we will back all kinds of creators.
The Creation Grand Prize has achieved media adaptation for 32 works over the past four events, including books, films, and serializations. The number of media adaptations has increased by about 1.8 times in the year since the last contest, and its momentum is growing. The number of submissions is also on the rise, with a record high of 69,808 works in 2025, bringing the cumulative total to 173,387 works (from 2022 to 2025).
This time, 34 media outlets, including publishers and TV stations, will participate in the judging. Related events with distinguished guests are also planned. During the event period, talk events will be held with essayist Honoka Nagase, writer/essayist Yuki Ishikawa, soup creator Kaoru Ariga, culinary expert Akari Hasegawa, novelist Satoshi Ogawa, and QuizKnock writer Reita Shiga.
## Purpose and Background
The domestic digital content market has already reached a scale of 6 trillion yen (*), and it is attracting attention from the media as a place where hit works are born. The genres of works developed into books and films have expanded from initial light novels and comics to general literature.
On note, over 380 books have been published as a result of creator posts. With over 70,000 diverse works posted daily, we have leveraged this platform strength to actively collaborate with media for many years. The Creation Grand Prize was started as a place for creators aiming for a professional debut and to broaden their scope of activities to meet numerous media outlets at once, in order to accelerate this trend.
Through past events, we have realized the importance of the Creation Grand Prize's role in "supporting those who continue to write," in addition to its original mission of discovering talent. It is an opportunity to release one's first work to the world. It is a place where the creative path does not end after debut. It is a chance for those who have once given up on creating to start writing again. This time, to further embody this sentiment, we will roll out events and measures to support creators' creative activities throughout the event period.
* Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, "令和7年版 情報通信白書 (2025 White Paper on Information and Communications in Japan)"
## Works Born from the Creation Grand Prize
The genres of works born through the Creation Grand Prize are diverse, ranging from novels to essays and comics. To date, we have achieved media adaptation for 32 works, including books, films, and serializations.