M-1 Grand Prix

• Preliminary (Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Quarterfinal, Semifinal)

from August or September until December

• Round 1 (2001): Sapporo, Sendai, Tokyo, Hamamatsu, Nagoya, Osaka, Takamatsu, Hiroshima, Fukuoka
• Round 1 (2002): Sapporo, Sendai, Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka
• Round 1 (2003-2009): Sapporo, Sendai, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka
• Round 1 (2010): Sapporo, Sendai, Tokyo, Niigata, Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima, Matsuyama, Fukuoka
• Round 2, Round 3, Semifinal (-2009), Quarterfinal (2010): Tokyo, Osaka
• Semifinal (2010): Tokyo (Ryōgoku Kokugikan)

• Second Chance Consolation (2002-2010)

from noon until 5 p.m. on the day of the finals

aired on Sky A Sports Plus, a satellite broadcasting company owned by ABC (2004-2010)

The winner of the Second Chance Consolation gets a second chance as the final contestant at the M-1 finals

• 2002-2004: special floor in front of Panasonic Center Tokyo
• 2005: Meiji Jingu Stadium
• 2006: Ariake Coliseum
• 2007-2010: Ohi Racecourse

• the Finals

live on TV (All-Nippon News Network, cast nation-wide)

• 2001: Lemon Studio
• 2002-2004: Panasonic Center Ariake Studio
• 2005-2010: TV Asahi Headquarters Studio 1

• The 7 judges are: Shinsuke Shimada, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Shoji Kokami, LaSalle Ishii, Koasa Shunpūtei, Yukio Aoshima, Kiyoshi Nishikawa
• The 3 audience judges are from the cities of: Sapporo, Osaka, Fukuoka

Notes

• Matsumoto gave King Kong a score of 55 while Nishikawa gave them a score of 95, causing a 40-point difference, which is the largest point difference for a single participant
• Nakagawake are the only winners with the first entrance order
• Four of the finalists this year are winners or would go on to become winners in later years, the most ever (Nakagawake, Masuda Okada, Football Hour and Tutorial)

• The 7 judges are: Shinsuke Shimada, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Makoto Otake, LaSalle Ishii, Yōshichi Shimada, Kausu Nakada, Danshi Tatekawa

Notes

• The Second Chance or Consolation Round was introduced this year
• The only year where there were more finalists who are not affiliated with Yoshimoto than those who are (5 to 4)
• All 3 units in the grand finals became winners in future years

• The 7 judges are: Shinsuke Shimada, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Kiyotaka Nanbara, Yōshichi Shimada, LaSalle Ishii, Makoto Otake, Kausu Nakada

Notes

• The restrictions for participation changed from less than 10 years since formation to less than or equals to 10 years since formation
• From this year and forward, judge points became more consistent in the range of the 70s as low and 90s are high
• All 3 units in the grand finals became winners in future years
• Koji Imada was appointed the MC from this year and onward

• The 7 judges are: Kiyoshi Nishikawa, Kiyotaka Nanbara, Makoto Otake, Yoshichi Shimada, Koasa Shunpūtei, LaSalle Ishii, Kausu Nakada

Notes

• Untouchable holds the record for the single highest points attained with 673 points, all judges had given more than 95 points
• The point difference between the 1st place and 2nd place between Untouchable and Nankai Candies are the largest ever at 34 points
• Although Taka and Toshi and Waraimeshi scored the same number of points, the judges determined that Taka and Toshi was better and placed above Waraimeshi

• The 7 judges are: Shinsuke Shimada, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Masayuki Watanabe, Makoto Otake, Yoshichi Shimada, LaSalle Ishii, Kausu Nakada

Notes

• The finals location was moved to TV Asahi headquarters in Roppongi Hills from this year onward

• The 7 judges are: Shinsuke Shimada, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Kiyotaka Nanbara, Masayuki Watanabe, Yoshichi Otake, Kausu Nakada

Notes

• For the first and only time ever, amateurs (not signed with any agency or in the industry) made it to the finals (Henho Chouchou)
• For the first and only time ever, a unit of 5 people rather than the traditionally duo Manzai unit made it to the finals (The Plan 9)
• The only year where all finalists were affiliated with Yoshimoto, with the exception of Henho Chouchou who have no agency
• Tutorial are the first winners to win with unanimous votes, the other unanimous winner is Punk Boo Boo in 2009

• The 7 judges are: Shinsuke Shimada, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Emiko Kaminuma, LaSalle Ishii, All Kyojin, Makoto Otake, Kausu Nakada

Notes

• Sandwichman are the first winners to come from the second chance round, the other winner is Trendy Angel in 2015

• The 7 judges are: Shinsuke Shimada, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Emiko Kaminuma, Masayuki Watanabe, All Kyojin, Makoto Otake, Kaausu Nakada

Notes

• The only year where all 3 grand finalists had appeared for the 1st time ever as a finalist
• NON STYLE are the first winners that was formed post 2000
• Aya Ueto was appointed as the assistant MC from this year onward

• The 7 judges are: Shinsuke Shimada, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Emiko Kaminuma, Hideo Higashikokubaru, All Kyojin, Masayuki Watanabe, Kausu Nakada

Notes

• Punk Boo Boo became the second unanimous winner after Tutorial in 2006
• Punk Boo Boo won The Manzai 2011, just two years later as the only unit to win both competitions
• Waraimeshi received the highest points by a single judge ever with 100 points from Shinsuke Shimada

• The 7 judges are: Shinsuke Shimada, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Kiyotaka Nanbara, Kazuki Otake, Masayuki Watanabe, Hiroyuki Miyasako, Kausu Nakada

Notes

• Waraimeshi has been a finalist every single year since 2002, marking 9 consecutive years as the finalists and the most finals appearances ever
• This was the final M-1 Grand Prix before the 5-year hiatus

• This is the first M-1 Grand Prix in 5 years since 2010
• The 9 judges are all past winners of every M-1 Grand Prix except 2004:
  • Reiji (Nakagawake), Hidehiko Masuda (Masuda Okada), Nozomu Iwao (Football Hour), Takashi Yoshida (Black Mayonnaise), Yoshimi Tokui (Tutorial), Takeshi Tomizawa (Sandwichman), Akira Ishida (Non Style), Tetsuo Sato (Punk Boo Boo), Tetsuo (Waraimeshi)

Notes

• Revived after 5 years since 2010
• Restrictions changed from within 10 years formed to within 15 years formed
• There are 9 judges in total and each judge is the past winner of every M-1 Grand Prix except 2004 (Untouchable)
• Trendy Angel are the second winners to come from the second chance round after Sandwichman in 2007
• All units at least received a 90 or above from a single judge

• The 5 judges are: Emiko Kaminuma, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Daikichi Hakata, Reiji (Nakagawake), All Kyojin

Notes

• Although units received the same number of points, their position is determined by the number of judges were higher points, for example Akina received higher points by 3 judges over Haraichi, which is the majority, marking them above Haraichi in placement
• The only time when the same unit entry number has made it to the finals in two consecutive years (Kaminari is entry number 73 this year, which was Wagyu's entry number last year)

• The 7 judges are: Emiko Kaminuma, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Daikichi Hakata, Koasa Shunputei, Reiji (Nakagawake), Masayuki Watanabe, All Kyojin

Notes

• From this year onward, there are 9 finalists and 1 second chance winner, for a total of 10 finalists, one more than past years
• For the first time, a unit were runners-up in consecutive years (Wagyu)
• It was determined from this year onward, that units with a same points will have the same placement regardless of point details

• The 7 judges are: Emiko Kaminuma, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Takeshi Tomizawa, Shiraku Tatekawa, Nobuyuki Hanawa, Reiji (Nakagawake), All Kyojin

Notes

• Shimofuri Myojo are the first winners that were born in the Heisei era and post 1990s, they were also the youngest winners ever at the age of 25 and 26
• Wagyu are the second unit to make it to top 3 in the finals 3 times in a row after Kirin, and are the only unit to be runners-up 3 times in a row

• The 7 judges are: Emiko Kaminuma, Hitoshi Matsumoto, Takeshi Tomizawa, Shiraku Tatekawa, Nobuyuki Hanawa, Reiji (Nakagawake), All Kyojin

Notes

• This is the first M-1 Grand Prix to take place in the Reiwa period and the last of the decade of 2010s
• With a total number of entrants at 5040, this is the first time there have been over 5000 total participants in the Grand Prix
• For the first time, the judges are the same as last year
• For the first time since the 8th M-1 Grand Prix (2008), a Manzai duo that is not affiliated with Yoshimoto makes it into the top 3 finals
• The winner, Milk Boy's 681 points is the highest in the history of the Grand Prix, beating out Untouchable's previous record of 673