The Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs has granted Kirby and Super Smash Bros creator Masahiro Sakurai an Art Encouragement Prize award in the Media Arts category for his work on the “Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games” YouTube channel.
Sakurai shared the news on his personal social media showing a picture with the Japanese listing of the recipients for the 75th edition of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Awards. In the post, the developer jokingly added that he wondered if this new award means he can now call himself a “cultured person.”
Furthermore, Masahiro Sakurai added that he was recently nominated for a Life Achievement Award by the Japanese Association of Media in Digital (or AMD) for his aforementioned YouTube channel in addition to his work in the video game industry.
As a reminder the “Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games” YouTube channel started on August 2022 with the final episode airing on October 22, 2024. Sakurai commented on his decision to not monetize the channel in an interview back in early November 2024. Additionally, the developer confirmed on the finale episode that he is currently working on a new game, although he couldn’t give any details about it yet.
Published: Mar 3, 2025 07:30 pm