Reki Kawahara

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Rankings

Covers

Records

Kawahara's achievements are anchored by the Dengeki Novel Prize Grand Award, the highest honor in light novel publishing. Sword Art Online has been the best-selling light novel series in Japan for multiple years and ranks among the most popular anime franchises globally by user count on MyAnimeList. He is recognized as a pioneer of the virtual reality isekai subgenre, inspiring countless other works.

AwardsKawahara won the 15th Dengeki Novel Prize Grand Award in 2009 for Accel World. He also received the Anime Grand Prix Award for Best Light Novel in 2013 and the Sugoi Japan Award for Best Light Novel in 2015, both for Sword Art Online. His anime adaptations have won multiple Tokyo Anime Award Festival honors.

Honours & Distinctions

Keynote Guest

Kyoto International Manga Anime Fair·2021

Invited as a keynote speaker at the fair.

Rankings & Lists

Best-selling Light Novel Series

Oricon·2012

Best-selling Light Novel Series

Oricon·2013

Best-selling Light Novel Series

Oricon·2014

Best Light Novel

Newtype Anime Awards·2018

Magazine Covers

Newtype

July 2012

Sword Art Online

Newtype

October 2014

Sword Art Online

Newtype

October 2018

Sword Art Online

Animedia

2012

Sword Art Online

Animedia

2013

Accel World

Records & Feats

Two simultaneous hit light novel series adapted into anime

Career Milestone·2013

Kawahara is one of the few authors to have two separate light novel series (Sword Art Online and Accel World) both receive successful anime adaptations at the same time.