AI Creator Award 2026
AICU Inc.
Creating People Who Create
つくる人をつくる
AICU Japan K.K.
SPONSORSHIP GUIDE 2026 · Updated 2026.08.28

International
AI Creator Award

10 fields7 languages10,000-vote goalSupported by DCAJ
Organizer: AICU Inc. (Delaware) · Operated by AICU Japan K.K. (Institute of Science Tokyo certified venture No. 7)
Supported by: Digital Content Association of Japan (DCAJ)
Ceremony: Nov 18–20, 2026 · INTER BEE IGNITION × DCEXPO, Makuhari Messe
About

Across companies, borders and cultures,
honoring the creators of the AI era.

Generative AI has expanded the creator community across borders, professions and organizations. This award shines a light on the creativity of individuals as well as teams, discovering and honoring them internationally.

Selection is a two-stage process: preliminary review + a public vote (10,000-participant goal) — a fair, internationally open evaluation independent of any specific capital or interest.
Eligible worksPublic Date from 1 Jan 2025 to 31 Dec 2026, publicly referenceable by third parties (X, YouTube, etc.)
Who can enterIndividual creators, companies (project teams), university labs, startups and more
Why sponsor

Four kinds of value for partners

01 Early access to next-generation creatorsMeet creators whose ability has been made visible through review — as candidates for hiring, commissions and co-production.
02 Brand valueNot a prize-money race: be seen at home and abroad as a company that evaluates talent fairly.
03 Global reachEntries and communication in seven languages (JA·EN·KO·ZH·FR·ES·PT) reach creators and media far beyond Japan.
04 First-hand generative-AI insightSee the latest real-world examples of how generative AI is used in production, through the entries themselves.
Track record · AICU in numbers

Supporting the generative-AI creator community
at this scale, since 2022.

920,000+Annual page views2025 · 154% year on year
886+Articlesnote.com/aicu · 1.53M cumulative views
28 issuesAICU MagazineMonthly · 150+ full-color pages
4 booksPublishedSB Creative and others
150xRevenue growthin two years
19+Enterprise partners
475Workshop participantsDentsu Group and others (175+300)
34,072Inter BEE 2025 visitors1,079 exhibitors · the ceremony venue
The ceremony is held during INTER BEE IGNITION × DCEXPO 2026 (Makuhari Messe). Visitor figures are for the exhibition as a whole, and we broadcast to the world from within Japan's largest digital-content show.
Fields

Ten fields that map today's creativity.

Each field has an official AICU character as its field guide. Entries that pass the screening go live in the public gallery before voting even opens.
01 · SERVICE

Service

02 · COMMERCIAL FILM

Commercial Film

03 · INDEPENDENT FILM

Independent Film

04 · CHARACTER / WEBTOON

Character

05 · MUSIC / MV / DANCE

Music & Performance

06 · AD / BROADCAST

Advertising & Broadcast

07 · PUBLISHING

Publishing

08 · GAME / TOOL / APP

Game & Tool

09 · EVENT / XR

Event

10 · OPEN

Open

Schedule

From open call to the world stage.

Sep 11Entries open (account created with Community membership)
– Sep 23Early-entry period (earlier entries get longer exposure)
Sep 24First entry deadline
Oct 15Partner logo deadline / late & special fields close
Mid OctPreliminary review · nominees announced
Nov 18–20Public vote → award ceremony (Makuhari Messe)
Progress is published weekly on AICU media and the mail newsletter. Confirm BRONZE or above by Sep 15 for early-bird benefits.
In the public vote, each voter casts one vote per category (up to 10) — 1,000 voters reach the 10,000-vote goal. Youth outreach (2,000-seat student events) is under way.
Plans

Partnership plans (tax excl.)

GOLD6,900 USDYour own corporate prize
Winners' reception (up to 5 seats)
Logo placement · nomination rights
SILVER2,300 USDWinners' reception (up to 3 seats)
Logo placement · nomination rights
BRONZE690 USDEARLYFree if confirmed by Sep 15
Winners' reception (1 seat)
Logo placement · nomination rights
COMMUNITY10 USDIndividual supporter plan
Name listed on the supporters page
Logo placement deadline: October 15, 2026
In-kind, in-service and name-support partnerships are also welcome — talk to us.
Plans · comparison

Partner class comparison

AICU Japan K.K.
GOLDSILVERBRONZECOMMUNITY
Partnership fee (USD)6,900 USD2,300 USD690 USD
Free until Sep 15		10 USD
Corporate prize — chosen from all entries✓———
Winners' reception (Makuhari Messe)5 seats3 seats1 seatInvitees only
Logo on the site (archived after the event)Fixed + linkTicker + linkCredits area + linkName + URL
Nomination rights — codes that waive the USD $10 entry fee50101—
Weekly exposure via AICU media / newsletter+ interview feature
(video)		+ activity feature
(article)		+ newsletter
mention		+ seasonal SNS support
PaymentAdministered by AICU Inc. (Delaware) · Stripe or bank wire · JPY invoicing via AICU Japan
⭐️ Partnerships are administered by AICU Inc. (a Delaware company); payment by Stripe or bank wire. A reseller program is available under partnership agreements: 10% lead commission for SILVER and above, or 20% when the partner also supports project management.
⭐️ The event itself is not run for profit: sponsorship fees and membership dues cover operating costs (review, venue, archival storage, translation, communications).
⭐️ AICU Inc. handles global operations in line with the laws, languages and business practices of each country.
⭐️ Every entry and URL is screened by the secretariat (safety, responsibility, fraud prevention). Logo placement deadline: October 15, 2026.
How to apply

It starts with a single email.

STEP 1Email award@aicu.ai with your preferred plan, or book a call at j.aicu.ai/Meet
STEP 2Plan confirmed. Corporate sponsors receive an invoice (early logo-only commitment is welcome)
STEP 3Send your logo and copy. Site placement starts as soon as you apply
STEP 4Nov 18–20: ceremony at Makuhari Messe. Reception details are sent in advance

Book a call

j.aicu.ai/Meet

Contact

award@aicu.ai

aicu.ai/award/2026

Thank you

Thank you to our partners

As of August 28, 2026 (incl. informal commitments) · updated continuously
SUPPORTED BY
OpenAI
ElevenLabs
Digital Content Association of Japan (DCAJ)
ORGANIZER
AICU Inc.
AI Creator Award 2026
AICU Japan K.K.
Our vision

Creators, to the world stage.

International AI Creator Award 2026 — Partnership Guide
AICU Inc. (Delaware) / AICU Japan K.K.
award@aicu.ai · aicu.ai/award/2026
International AI Creator Award 2026 · Partnership Guide · rev.20260828 · 日本語版 · Code of Conduct