Can you believe it’s been six months since the year kicked off, since Suzume and Miu Watanabe were battling it out in Korakuen Hall?

Half of the 2026 joshi calendar is behind us, and soon enough we’ll be looking back at the year that was. Who is in the best position to claim the year-end awards when that time comes? 

A hoss is in line to take home Wrestler of the Year. A SEAdLINNNG star is on track to get her own prize. A super team looks ready to push past its competition. 

Many of the races are crowded and harder to predict. That’s especially true with so much great wrestling sure to come in the second of the year. But we’ll do our best here, taking a look at which wrestlers, matches, and events are most likely to win come award season. 

Match of the Year

This is an award that may have been decided on just the fourth day of the year. 

Suzume vs. Miu Watanabe kicked off 2026 for TJPW with an emphatic bang, and there hasn’t been another bout as universally lauded as this one in the months since. It’s sitting at a 4.6 rating on Dropkickd and is the highest-rated match in TJPW history on CageMatch.net. 

For me, Saya Kamitani vs. Starlight Kid from Supreme Fight edges that out, but I have zero confidence in that match beating out Miu vs. Suzume in any sort of poll. The Princess of Princess Championship clash from January has had more buzz, and it’s going to take something special to unseat it.

There’s clearly a lot of wrestling left on the calendar, so there will be chances aplenty to do just that. VENY is set to challenge Chihiro Hashimoto for the Sendai Girls World Championship. You know Sareee is going to book some amazing random tag at the next Sareee-ISM event. And STARDOM is setting up a collision between Saya Kamitani and Utami Hayashishita that has all the makings of an instant classic.

Rookie of the Year

It’s understandable if you’ve seen Selene Misora kicking ass and not realized she’s a rookie. The SEAdLINNNG star began her career last June and has been a beast for the promotion since.

Misora teamed with VENY for two excellent tag matches against Unagi Sayaka and Honori Hana. She had a strong showing against Hana at Seed Stage Vol. 3. She’s been a standout presence on the undercard of Sareee-ISM events. 

She’s delightfully aggressive and commands your attention in the ring. If she continues to get ringtime, she’s going to take home the Rookie of the Year prize by a large margin.

Saira has been amazing, but has only had a few matches. Konomi Hori has shown great promise, but I worry about how many opportunities she’ll get as part of a promotion as new and small as Rose. The STARDOM rookies may cancel each other out in this race. None of them are going to have the space to shine that Misora will on a much less crowded SEAdLINNNG roster.

Tag Team of the Year

As usual, there are a lot of solid contenders for this one, from O2Line in STARDOM to Hakuchumu in TJPW, but SPARK RUSH is in a great spot to claim this award.

For one, Sareee and Takumi Iroha have fought all across the joshi scene. They took on God’s Eye in STARDOM, battled with Magenta in Marvelous, and took down Senka Akatsuki and Spike Nishimura at the Tenryu Project Bridge of Dreams show. They get a variety of opportunities and opponents. And they shine in a lot of those spots.

Most prominently, they had a top-tier match against Chihiro Hashimoto and Syuri at Sareee-ISM Chapter X. That’s the kind of standout bout you need to boost your award campaign. 

And SPARK RUSH may again soon have the advantage of being champs. As she announced on Sunday’s Marvelous show, Sareee is back from injury, and she and Takumi Iroha will challenge Nyla Rose and Nightshade for the AAAW tag titles. 

AZM and Miyu Amasaki, meanwhile, are the no. 1 threats to snatch that award from them. The Goddess of STARDOM champs have been super fun to watch. Their recent collision with FWC at Stardom Nighter in Korakuen is a prime example.

If they keep getting quality opponents in front of them like that, they will have the means to end up as joshi’s top team in 2026.

Breakout Star of the Year

Fuwa-chan has been a blast to watch in STARDOM. The YouTuber has looked more and more like she belongs in the ring. She’s had a lot of solid matches this year including her showdowns with Starlight Kid and Saori Anou.

The kind of leap she’s taken is why you have awards like this. She’s got all kinds of competition for that Breakout Star of the Year prize, though.

You could argue that Chanyota deserves it. She’s upped her game of late. She’s looked and felt like a legit champ since winning the P.P.P. Venus of Party Women’s Championship. The vast variety of bookings she gets is going to help her build that award resume, as well.

How about Miku Kanae? This is an award that usually goes to a young star who finds their rhythm early in their career, but you also have to consider someone like her who was already excellent and gotten even better. She’s standing out in tag matches in just about every promotion no matter how big a star she’s sharing the ring with. 

Over on the TJPW side, Haru Kazashiro and Sakura Hattori have made great strides. You have to keep on eye on both of them as the crowded race rolls on.

Promotion of the Year

No one is taking a clear lead here.

Injuries to Seri Yamaoka and Victoria Yuzuki will hurt Marigold’s chances. Marvelous doesn’t have quite the electricity it had last year when it was knee-deep in a rivalry with Marigold. 

Sendai Girls remains the promotion with the most consistent in-ring production. World champ Chihiro Hashimoto has had a tremendous year. They just haven’t had that standout show that really puts them in this conversation. Senjo the Biggest is on the way, however, so that could change.

Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling and STARDOM are both taking chances with less established top champs. Namely, Yuki Arai and Sayaka Kurara. With those two at the helm, it’s harder to predict how things will go. 

Both companies, though, have hit some really big highs. For TJPW, that’s come in the form of MOTY contender Miu Watanabe vs. Suzume and a resurgent tag team scene. For STARDOM, it’s a great Cinderella final and the tail end of Saya Kamitani’s reign.

Story is what will separate TJPW and STARDOM as the year progresses. Who can cook up the narratives that get people buzzing? Who can get us most invested?

Show of the Year

All-Star Grand Queendom had that fun hardcore match between Mi Vida Loca and High Hai Mate, Syuri slugging it out with Megan Bayne, and the beautifully told story of Sayaka Kurara dethroning Saya Kamitani. 

TJPW Grand Princess, meanwhile, gave us SPARK RUSH battling it out with Miyu Yamashita and Arisu Endo, Suzume vs. MIRAI for the International Princess Championship, and Yuki Arai’s win over Miu Watanabe.

Both of these shows are going to get votes at the end of the year, but neither of them are locks to be the best by 2026’s end. The second half of the year is going to be loaded. So much great wrestling is on the way.

Sendai Girls’ top show is on July 12 and already has Chihiro Hashimoto vs. VENY and Red Energy vs. Bob Bob Momo Banana on the card. Sareee-ISM Chapter XI is coming in the fall. TJPW has both Wrestle Princess and Summer Sun Princess yet to come. Plus, STARDOM always delivers at the end of the year with Dream Queendom.

So, this remains the hardest award to project this early. Joshi tends to end the year strong.

Wrestler of the Year

Chihiro Hashimoto is running away with this right now.

We’ve seen a comparatively quiet year from Mayu Iwatani. Injury slowed down Sareee earlier this year. Miu Watanabe stepped out of the top dog role with TJPW for now as the company tries to see if Yuki Arai can shine as world champ. Big Hash, meanwhile, has upped her game and has produced at the highest level of her career.

Her match with Syrui vs. Iroha and Sareee from Sareee-ISM Chapter X is among the best tag contests of 2026. She’s in one of the few matches giving it stiff competition: Hashimoto and MIRAI vs. Rina and Miku Kanae.

Hashimoto has thrived as the dominant, bully champ for Sendai Girls. That defense against Syuri in April was a violent work of art.

She’s been tremendous on the tag scene despite no longer having her longtime partner Yuu at her side. She impressed over in Germany in the wXw Carat Gold tourney. She’s starred in several big special events like the anniversary shows for Aja Kong and Yumika Hotta. She’s ever-present and electric. 

No one else has had such a consistent and compelling first six months. 

Takumi Iroha is having a great year. Currently, she’s in second place as joshi WOTY in my mind, but there’s a large gap between her and no. 1. It would take one hell of a late summer and fall from Iroha to take Hashimoto’s spot up front.