Joint Manga Contest 2026
Overview:
The Joint Manga Contest 2026 is a global creative competition organized by MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA in partnership with JAPAN Expo, featuring two distinct categories: Story Manga Category and a brand-new Drawing Category. Open to creators worldwide, submissions must be in English or French and adhere to all contest rules.
Categories & Description
1) Story Manga Category
- Submit an original, self-contained manga with a complete story (beginning, middle, end).
- Total page count must be between 10 and 45 pages (including any title or cover pages).
- Both story and artwork must be created by the applicant.
- Manga must be black & white and follow Japanese reading direction (right to left).
2) Drawing Category
- Transform one of the official storyboard templates provided (three genres) into a fully realized manga manuscript:
• Battle (by Sanami Suzuki)
• School (by Daichi Kawada)
• Romance (by Hinekure Wataru) - Up to three submissions per entrant allowed in this category.
- Participants must use only the provided storyboards and not create their own storylines.
Prizes
Story Manga Category
- First Prize: €5,000
- Second Prize: €2,500
Drawing Category (per genre)
- First Prize: €1,000
- Second Prize: €500
Additionally:
- Finalists’ works will be published on MANGA Plus.
Submission Dates
- Story Manga Category: Submit by May 15, 2026, 23:59 (GMT +1)
- Drawing Category: Submit by May 31, 2026, 23:59 (GMT +1)
- Winners will be officially announced on stage at Japan Expo 2026 and published on the contest page.
How to Apply
Applicants must send their complete work as a PDF file via a WeTransfer link or equivalent to:
📧 nouveau-mangaka@sefa-event.com
Required Information (with submission):
- Work’s title
- Full Name
- Pen Name (pseudonym)
- Date of Birth
- City of Origin
General Submission Rules
- Only unpublished works are eligible (no commercial magazine submissions, no commercial website uploads).
- The same work should not be submitted concurrently to other manga contests during the submission period.
- Submissions must not have been presented to publishers or magazines between Feb 1 and July 12, 2026.
- Text must be written in English or French only.
- Manga files must be black & white.
- Manga must follow Japanese reading direction (right to left).
- All pages must have uniform dimensions.
- Final files must be exported as JPEG or PNG, with 1,920 × 2,560 px resolution.
- Only creators 18 years of age or older by July 1, 2026 are eligible.
- File names should follow the structure: Title_Pseudonym or Title_FirstnameLastname (e.g., MonManga_DupontPierre).
- Submitted files will not be returned and may be used for promotional purposes.
Evaluation & Judging
Story Manga Category
- First Round: Japan Expo Team selects the 10 finalists.
- Final Round: The winners (First and Second Prize) are selected by a panel including the MANGA Plus Editor-in-Chief and editors from Shonen Jump+, Digital Margaret, and Bessatsu Margaret.
Drawing Category
- Winners (First and Second Prize) are determined by the same editorial panel, based on each genre.
Important Notes
- Winning works and creators’ pen names may be featured online, in booklets, pamphlets, social media, and promotional materials produced by SHUEISHA and/or Japan Expo.
- Organizers may contact applicants during the judging process for verification.
- No inquiries regarding the judging process will be answered.
PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL COMPETITION WEBSITE.