Crunchyroll Anime Award for Best Director
The Crunchyroll Anime Award for Best Director is an above-the-line award given at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards since its third edition in 2019. It is given for the best directing in anime films and series from the previous year. Winners are determined through a combined voting process by judges and public voting.
Science SARU's co-founder Masaaki Yuasa first won the award in 2019 for his direction of Devilman Crybaby, which also awarded the second time in 2021 for his direction of Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, the first anime director to win multiple awards and currently the oldest director to win. Yuichiro Hayashi holds the record for the most nominations—also the most nominations without a win—with 3 for his direction of the fourth season of Attack on Titan.
2 out of 7 anime series won the Best Director category together with Anime of the Year category, the highest award.
In the latest edition in 2025, Keiichiro Saito won the award for his direction of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, the youngest recipient to win at the age of 32.