In the International AI Creator Award 2026, 321 works from 10 fields gathered from around the world are subject to public voting (as of October 31, 2026). We are currently accepting public votes, constructive feedback on the works, and emotions (emo) that convey feelings such as empathy and surprise. Sharing your favorite works is also very welcome.
In this era where anyone can become a creator with generative AI. Not only creating works but also learning from others' works and sending your impressions in your own words. Someone returns emo to that comment, and through sharing, you meet new audiences. I am truly grateful for this supportive culture that is being born in the gallery.
The Award Secretariat observes and translates the comments received. While a cooldown time is set for consecutive short-time postings, we believe that merely maintaining fairness through regulation is not enough to nurture the culture of the next generation of AI creators.
Chair Akihiko Shirai aims to go beyond the era of influencers and Web3, and to pioneer the creative culture of humanity in the AI era by enjoying discovery, critique, and dissemination by the creators themselves. From the beginning, this award has welcomed the introduction of your own works and calls for votes from fans.
We will further advance the project "Creators' Recommendation" that sheds light on those activities.
Notice: Change in the closing time for general voting
The general voting for works was initially set for "November 15 (AoE)", meaning "until 21:00 on November 16 (Monday) Japan time", but it will be changed to "November 13, 2026 (AoE) = November 14 (Saturday) 21:00 (Japan time)". The reason is that it would be difficult for the final judges to judge and for finalists to adjust their attendance.
General voting remains free, with one vote per person (a natural person who can reply to an email address) per category, totaling 10 votes across 10 categories. Emo is a reaction to express feelings towards works and comments, and is separate from general voting.
About the counting method of works
There are three ways to count the number of works. All of them are as of October 31, 2026, and may change as recommendations and reviews progress.
- There are 321 works eligible for general voting. These are the works that have passed the qualification screening by the secretariat, and these are the works you can vote for.
- There are 354 works lined up in the gallery. This number includes the 321 works above plus 33 works under review, and the works under review are marked with "Under Review".
- The total number of entries is 372 works. This is the total number of entries received from 202 people from 20 countries and regions (in addition, there are entries whose location has not been disclosed).
As the judging progresses, the subjects of the general vote will increase. Recommended works will also be added to the subjects after undergoing the same review.
CCCP：Cheerful Community Commentator Prize
We will establish the "Cheerful Community Commentator Prize," abbreviated as "CCCP," which aggregates support activities through impressions, emo, and shares as scores, visualizing contributions to the community. In Japanese, it is "Best Support Award."
We regard the impressions given to works as a form of expression and also focus on how those impressions are received by others. It is a project that shines a light on both the people who create works and those who discover and convey the charm of those works.
We invite the winner of this prize to a networking event held after the award ceremony on November 20. We will also prepare a trophy and present it to the winners who come to the venue on the day. We do not ship trophies. Travel expenses are the responsibility of the individual.
Open the submission gallery: https://aicu.ai/award/2026/gallery/
(1) Send emo to the work
Your emo is not just hearts. You can choose from 100 types of emo and place 16 types in your emo palette. Please express the feelings you received from the work, such as empathy, surprise, fun, or questions, with emoji.
It is also recommended to step a little outside the fields you usually watch. Works from various fields such as video, music, characters, publishing, games, and services are lined up.
(2) Write your impressions in your own words
Write comments on other creators' works in the submission gallery. Up to 280 characters. One comment per work, and if rewritten, the content will be replaced. This impression holds very important meaning. Even if simple, please provide a heartfelt word.
Memorable scenes, expressions that made you laugh unintentionally, surprising ideas. We would be delighted if you could put "what was good and how" into your own words. Even if short, a heartfelt word has power.
Any language is acceptable. Automatic translation will be provided, and the original text will remain as is. We value the raw voices of creators, so please write in your own language.
(3) Share your favorite works
Please introduce your favorite works using the share button or URL copy. Cover art and an overview are set for each work.
"I want you to see this scene" "This idea was interesting." Your words become the gateway connecting the work with new audiences. We have implemented two types of evaluation methods for this "share."
You who press the share button are precious. Those who are signed in and press "Share" at the top right of the gallery's work will receive a small evaluation point and a URL with an invitation link.
Invitation code for sharing granted. A personal code is attached to the URL of the work. If someone comes from that link, signs in, and registers, the person who introduced it will receive additional points. It's a small incentive, but since it's a link visible to others, if any fraud prohibited by the Code of Conduct is discovered, it will be subject to dynamic correction.
(4) Send emo to impressions
Emo can be given not only to works but also to comments.
"I get it!" "Good comment" "That's what I wanted to know." Please respond to comments you resonate with or words that taught you a new perspective. If you feel "I have a question" or "I want to know more," feel free to express it with ❓ or 🤔.
People with various backgrounds and ways of thinking participate in this award. Different opinions and harsh critiques are also important opportunities to think about the work. Please enjoy the exchange with respect for others. You can set the name displayed in comments yourself.
(5) Evaluate that 'emo to impressions'
We have added "Most Reviewed" and "CCC: Cheerful Community Commentator" to the live board.
'Most Reviewed' is a ranking of works that received the most reviews. 'CCC: Cheerful Community Commentator' is a ranking that evaluates the reviews given to other works and the emo received for those reviews.
Treat the impression itself as a single work and score how that expression was received. If the top scorer has a submission, the thumbnail and link to that work will also be introduced. We hope to connect to new encounters, wondering "what kind of works does the person who wrote this impression create?"
The numbers on the live board are aggregated and updated every hour. The numbers do not change immediately after sending comments or emos. The evaluation formula is dynamically changed according to participation status, and the changed evaluation formula is reflected at the subsequent aggregation point. Scores and rankings may fluctuate due to aggregation and correction.
View the live board: https://aicu.ai/award/2026/jury/live/
(6) What CCCP means
What you can see in this ranking are the people who evaluated others' works and the impressions evaluated by others. Furthermore, by connecting to their own submitted works, you can see "what kind of person creates what kind of work and what they perceived."
We welcome activities that reach out to many people, introduce works, and expand support. Moreover, there is value in actually watching the works and sending your impressions in your own words, which cannot be conveyed by numbers alone.
For creators in the era of Creative AI to be rooted in society and evaluated as cultural bearers, trust as creators will be key in addition to dissemination power and buzz. We also believe that "professional commentators" who can deliver strict but constructive criticism should be valued.
The ability to view works, the power to put them into words, and the attitude to engage with the creations of others. These are also the forces that will nurture the creative culture of the future.
Tally Period and Best Support Award
CCCP will target activities from October 26, 2026. The deadline for tallying will be announced during the watch party scheduled from the night of November 13 (Friday) to 14 (Saturday). All times are Japan time.
As a measure against last-minute fraudulent operations, the exact deadline will not be announced in advance. During the watch party, the secretariat will close the tally, confirm, and make necessary adjustments to determine the top 3. The interim rankings on the live board do not signify confirmed awards.
CCCP is a side event that celebrates support activities, separate from the general voting and final judging of works. CCCP scores will not be added to the votes or final judging scores of the submitted works.
Respect for works and support
In CCCP, scores are calculated based on records of support activities. The formula, weights, and scoring are not disclosed. To appropriately evaluate the actual state of support by continuously observing fraud, cheating, and actions deviating from the purpose of the Award, the calculation method and scores will be dynamically adjusted as necessary.
The buying and selling of votes, automation, coercion of voting, and creation of multiple accounts are prohibited by the Code of Conduct of the award. In this project as well, inflation or manipulation without actual support will be subject to exclusion or correction from the tally, regardless of the presence of submitted works.
We welcome you to introduce your own works and encourage your fans to vote. We would be happy if you also look at other works you encounter there, convey what you actually felt, and listen to the words of other participants.
Responses to violations will be determined by the secretariat based on the Code of Conduct.
The Code of Conduct is here.
https://aicu.ai/award/conduct/
A watch party is scheduled to be held from the night of November 13 to 14.
A watch party is scheduled to be held on the AICU YouTube channel from the night of November 13 (Friday) to 14 (Saturday). https://j.aicu.ai/A26WP
We want to make it a time to watch works from around the world together, talk about the works that caught our attention, and send comments and emo. The start time of the broadcast and how to participate will be announced later.
AICU YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@aicuai
Find your "favorite work" by searching for works in the gallery or looking at the current movements on the live board.
The award ceremony is on November 20th. The best time with everyone connected through works
The award ceremony at Makuhari Messe's 'INTER BEE IGNITION' on November 20 (Friday) can be attended with just the INTER BEE visitor registration (seating is limited, and standing may be required).
An invitation email (around November 17) will be sent to the finalists in each field, including CCCP winners. Award certificates will be issued online using CERT.AICU.AI, but the winners' trophies will only be handed out at the venue on the day, so attendance is required to receive them. No shipping will be done for absentees. Travel expenses are the responsibility of the individual.
Please do not forget to register for participation in INTER BEE. https://www.inter-bee.com/ja/forvisitors/conference/ignition/
The networking event (after-party) will be held mainly for invited guests such as the winners of the 10 categories of the main award, hosts, judges, and members of supporting and related organizations. Pre-sale tickets are offered for a limited time and quantity so that the general public can confirm participation in advance.
Networking event application: https://j.aicu.ai/A26Net
Directly convey your impressions to the creators you supported from behind the screen. Directly express your gratitude to those who sent you their impressions. We look forward to meeting everyone connected through the works at the venue.
Connecting humanity through works, creating tomorrow!
To the people who create works. And to those who find those works, offer words, and deliver them to the next person.
We want to nurture creation in the era of generative AI together with everyone.