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| Not Quite Anime: Ado’s “Show” Disqualified from MAJ Nom for Being, Well, Not Anime |
The organisers behind Music Awards Japan 2025 (MAJ) have issued a public apology after a rather embarrassing mix-up involving one of Japan’s hottest artists – Ado. Her mega-hit “Show” (唱) was originally announced as a nominee in the “Best Anime Song” category. The only problem? It’s not actually in an anime.
Yeah. That tiny detail.
Just four days after proudly unveiling the list of nominees, the MAJ executive committee sheepishly admitted the error.
Turns out, “Show” doesn’t serve as an opening, ending, or insert theme in any anime series, which – according to their own rules – disqualifies it from that specific category. Whoops.
In an official statement, the MAJ team held their hands up and explained the misstep. They said the song was incorrectly classified during the selection process due to a breakdown in how genre and category assignments were handled.
As a result, “Show” has now been withdrawn from the anime category entirely, and votes submitted so far will be reset.
The remaining four nominees — “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” (Creepy Nuts), “Idol” (YOASOBI), “Dai Zero Kan” (10-FEET), and “Lilac” (Mrs. GREEN APPLE) — will carry on in the re-vote.
To their credit, the committee did issue a thorough apology — not just to Ado and her team, but to fans and voters too.
They promised better systems and checks going forward, to make sure this sort of thing doesn’t happen again.
But don’t worry — Ado’s still in the running elsewhere. “Show” remains a nominee in the “Best Japanese Dance Pop Song” category, where it actually belongs. And let’s be real — it’s a proper banger either way.
Fans online had a mix of reactions: some found it hilarious, others were fuming about the lack of care, and a few pointed out how it’s easy to assume a song like “Show” must be from an anime, considering Ado’s reputation for theatrical, anime-style visuals.
In the end, it’s a reminder that even big-name award shows can get things wrong — and that sometimes, you’ve got to double-check the fine print before slapping “anime song” on everything with strong vibes and power vocals.
As for Ado? She’s probably too busy dominating charts to worry about it.
Tonboriday will be watching to see who takes home the final anime song crown — now that the lineup’s, well, actually made of anime songs.