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Sanrio announced the start date for the 2026 character ranking popularity poll that tracks worldwide enthusiasm for its mascots. Voting starts on April 9, 2026, with people able to take part on the official site. That will remain open for over a month until May 24, 2026. Like in past years, we’ll probably see the 2026 winner appear on more merchandise and tie-in events.
First, here’s the full schedule for the Sanrio Character Ranking 2026, which includes the interim popularity poll places. This is a means of gauging how well some are doing and where your votes should perhaps go.
- April 9, 2026: Voting begins.
- April 14, 2026: Initial results released.
- May 12, 2026: Interim results shared.
- June 28, 2026: Final results revealed.
- May 24, 2026: Voting ends.
The theme this year is “Smiling Ovation.” This means the official art for this year’s poll dresses everyone like cheerleaders. Each character in the first key image is wearing a similar uniform, though in their signature colors. Hello Kitty, My Melody, and Little Twin Stars are holding pom poms, and Pompompurin and Kuromi are using megaphones. As the 2025 winner, Pompompurin is up front with Hello Kitty. (Cinnamoroll took first place in 2024 and 2023.) The initial site also noted that there will be a new category for votes this year, but Sanrio didn’t note what it might be yet.
Voting for the Sanrio Character Ranking 2026 runs between April 9, 2026 and May 24, 2026, and the final popularity poll results come in on June 28, 2026.
