KOMODO has announced the NIUHI Indie Manga Contest, open to creators worldwide with an eligibility to receive prizes, professional feedback, and publish their work on Niuhi.
NIUHI Indie Manga Contest 2026: A Global Stage for Creators
Take your manga to the next level with professional feedback and reach readers beyond your own borders! KOMODO has announced the NIUHI Indie Manga Contest, which will be held on the ARTStreet by MediBang platform in collaboration with NIUHI.
The contest is open to creators worldwide and participants will have the chance to win prizes, receive professional feedback on their work, and publish their work on NIUHI.
Big Prizes and Global Exposure: The $1,200 Grand Prize
Contest Prizes
The Niuhi Indie Manga Contest will offer multiple award tiers to support creators at different stages:
Grand Prize (1 winner)
- $1,200 cash prize
- Translation support (English, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, French, and more)
- Professional feedback from leading industry experts
- The opportunity to publish on NIUHI
Second Prize (1 winner)
- $300 cash prize
- Professional feedback from industry experts
- The opportunity to publish on NIUHI
Appreciation Prize (30 winners)
- $12 cash prize and the opportunity to publish on NIUHI
Open to Creators Worldwide
The contest is open to creators from around the world!
* Manga submissions are accepted in English, Traditional Chinese, and Japanese.
Event Period
- Submission Period: April 24th, 2026 – May 31st, 2026 (JST)
Professional Mentorship: Feedback from Kodansha and MAG Garden Experts
Advisor
Grand Prize and Runner-Up winners will receive feedback from three professional manga artists and editors:
Ryoichi Suzuki / Head of Kodansha Creators’ Lab:
- Worked on titles such as Sayonara, Zetsubou-Sensei, As the Gods Will, We Did It, and Gal & Dinosaur for Weekly Shonen Magazine and Young Magazine.
- Launched “DAYS NEO” in 2018 and “Kodansha Game Creators’ Lab” in 2020, has held their current position since 2021.
Ryosuke Goto / Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Kansai Division, MAG Garden:
- Since joining the company in 2014, he has been involved in the relaunch of Monthly Comic Garden and the launch of MAGBOX, a collaborative label with Manga Box.
- He currently focuses on discovering and developing regional manga creators through MAGKAN, operated by MAG Garden’s Kansai Division.
- (Selected works include Kamase Inu no Oukan and Meikon no Chigiri.)
- He also serves as a Visiting Associate Professor at Osaka University of Arts.
Asanaya / Manga Artist, Illustrator:
- Worked on the manga adaptation of The Alchemist on the Outskirts of the Royal Capital: Since It Was a “Useless” Job, I’ll Run a Relaxed Shop.
- Also handled the artwork and character design for Mimicry Girls, a Silver Prize winner at the 28th Dengeki Novel Prize.
This contest is part of a broader push to bridge the gap between East and West. Groups like Manga Mavericks Joins NIUHI are already working to bring Japanese indie manga to English readers, ensuring contest winners have a built-in audience of enthusiasts.
How to Enter: Submission Guidelines via ARTStreet by MediBang
Ready to enter? Visit the official contest page on ARTStreet by MediBang for full details and submission guidelines:
Visit the ARTStreet by MediBang Official Contest Page
The NIUHI Advantage: Community Translation and Revenue Sharing
NIUHI features a unique community-driven translation system that allows readers to contribute translations, helping creators reach new audiences across languages. The platform also offers an industry-leading revenue share model designed to support and reward creators.
The NIUHI next-gen manga platform is a rapidly growing ecosystem for creators. Following its major mobile expansion, the NIUHI Manga App Official Launch on iPhone gives indie artists a direct line to a global mobile audience from day one.
Take the next step in your creative journey and share your story with manga fans across languages. Join the NIUHI Indie Manga Contest today and start turning your ideas into opportunities!
You can follow NIUHI on their Japanese X account, and English Instagram and TikTok accounts to discover the latest updates!
Note: The information above was sourced from a press release.
🏮 Read More In Asian Spaces
- Kodansha House 2026: Immersive Pop-Up Debuts at Anime Expo – See where the industry giants judging this contest spend their time this summer.
- Humanity is Over? – Moon Ciders Episode 1 & 2 – A deep dive into one of KOMODO’s flagship sci-fi series available on the NIUHI platform.
- NIUHI Next-Gen Manga Platform Expands with New Creator Titles – Stay updated on the latest growth and new additions to the NIUHI library.
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