The two back rows and the sides of the stage was filled with camera-holding press with eyes focused on the stage. All the energy and attention contained within the hall built up a quiet tension as we waited for the third Seiyu Award to commence. But when it finally started, it was soon over. One by one, the winners were announced until the biggest award was left - the best male and female seiyu awards. Rie Kugimiya was the only one in a kimono today and she exuded much elegance as she walked so gracefully to receive her trophy.

It might be high time for Tsundere queen Rie Kugimiya to win this year's best female seiyu award. Meanwhile, the ever-so-versatile Hiroshi Kamiya bagged this year's best male seiyu award and personality award. His understated performance in Natsume Yuujincho was as impressive as it was subtle in a Japanese way.

This year saw a rise in new categories including an overseas fan award allowing fans from overseas to vote for their favourite Seiyu. The award goes to Jun Fukuyama for his memorable performance as Lelouche in Code Geass. On a separate note, Jun Fukuyama also won the best seiyu award for his role as Lelouche at the Tokyo Anime Awards this year. He was dressed in romantic white today, very much like an anime character!

The surprise of the day was when a kigurumer Atom appeared in the middle of the awards and Professor Ochanomizu made it even more memorable by playing his character and giving a lively speech. The 82 year old seiyu has been in this trade for 60 years!

Tomokazu Sugita a.k.a the composed and cool Raven in Earl and Fairy does not seem to stray too far away from his own character. He contributed to the other funny moment at the awards when he joked about how the trophy looked as if it contained all the fans' blood and that it was about 20kg heavy in his signature deadpan way.

While the award was a formal necktie and suits event, hundreds of boisterous fans screamed their lungs out near the ceremony. They were gathered at the Tokyo Anime Center to watch the awards live via the big screen TV and were cheering each time someone gets an award. After the awards, fans waited outside as their favourite seiyu graced the red carpet to the reception party nearby. This was the only chance they get to see the seiyus up close and they were generously rewarded as the seiyus kindly took their time to pose for cameras and interacted with fans at the red carpet. It's really touching to meet the people who breathed life into your favourite characters isn't it? So did your favourite seiyu win this year? Let's check out the winner's list below~

The Third Seiyu Awards Winners:

★Best male lead voice actor (主演男性優)
Hiroshi Kamiya (神谷浩史）for playing Natsume in Natsume Yuujincho.

★Best female lead voice actress (主演女優賞)
Rie Kugimiya (釘宮理恵) for Shana in Shakugan no Shana and Aisaka Taiga in Toradora.

★Best male supporting voice actor (助演男性優)
1.Kazuhiko Inoue (井上和彦) for playing Nyanko Sensei in Natsume Yuujincho.

2. Tomokazu Sugita (杉田智和) for playing Raven in Earl and Fairy (伯爵と妖精). He also voices Leon and Mishima in Macross Frontier.

★Best female supporting voice actor/actress (助演女優賞)
1. Aya Endo (遠藤綾) for playing Sheryl Nome in Macross Frontier. She also plays Angelique in Neo Angelique Abyss and Matsu in Sekirei.

2. Miyuki Sawashiro (沢城みゆき) who plays Yamashita Satoru in Line Barrel, Kanzato Jun in PERSONA-trinity soul-, Aoba Tsugumi in Kannagi and Shibasaki Asako in Toshokan Senso.

★Best male newcomer (新人男性優賞)
1.Nobuhiko Okamoto (岡本信彦）who plays Kanzato Shin in PERSONA -trinity soul- and Kuhouin Ryuuji in Kurenai and so on.

2. Yuki Kaji (梶裕貴) who plays Hiizumi Akina in Yozakura Quartet and Finny in Kuroshitsuj.

★Best female newcomer (新人女優賞)
1. Kana Asumi (阿澄佳奈）who plays Yuno in Hidamari Sketch x 365 and Hirakawa Natsumi in Kyou no Go no ni.

2. Haruka Tomatsu (戸松遥）who plays Sanomiya Shiho in Zettai Karen Children, Nagi in Kannagi and Rara Satarin Debiruk in To Loveru.

★Best singer award (歌唱賞）
Megumi Nakajima (中島愛) for playing Ranka Lee in Macross Frontier

★Personality award　（パーソナリティ賞）
Kamiya Hiroshi (神谷浩史) who is a radio personality for "Kamiya Hiroshi Ono Daisuke's Dear Girl ~Stories~".

★Lifetime Achievement Award (功労賞)
1.Kenji Utsumi　(内海賢二）famous for playing Raoh in Fist of the North Star.

2. Kose Tomita (富田耕生）famous for many ojisan roles in dubbed Hollywood movies.

3. Ichiro Nagai (永井一郎) famous for playing Yoda in Star Wars, the narrator of Mobile Suits Gundam and so on.

★Special Lifetime Achievement Award (特別功労賞)
Reiko Muto (武藤礼子) who played Elizabeth in Sound of Music, Meruko in Fushigi na Merumi and nonnon in Moomin. She passed away on October 29, 2006.

★Tomiyama Kei Award (富山敬賞)
Koichi Yamadera (山寺宏一）for hosting a variety program and appearing in a variety of genres - movies, drama, stage, commercials and so on.

★Overseas Fan Award (海外ファン賞)
Jun Fukuyama (福山潤) for playing Lelouche in Code Geass which is incidentally the best selling Japanese DVD overseas.

★Synergy Award (シナジー賞)
Tetsuwan Atom (鉄腕アトム) starring Mari Shimizu (清水マリ) as Atom, Yoko Mizugaki (水垣洋子) as Uran and Hisashi Katsuta (勝田久) as Professor Ochanomizu.