By Ashley Reyes
2023 SEMA Person of the Year Ian Lehn (left) presents the award to 2024 winner Colby McLaughlin (center) alongside Jarod DeAnda.
The nomination period for the 2025 SEMA Person of the Year award is open and runs until Friday, August 15 at sema.org/awards.
Of the several honors and recognitions that SEMA bestows each year, the SEMA Person of the Year award is among the most prestigious as it honors a person who has made outstanding contributions to the specialty-equipment industry over a year-long period.
To be considered, the honoree must exhibit professionalism, service, integrity and ethics that propel the industry forward. The candidate must also be employed by a SEMA member company and their contributions must have taken place during the SEMA fiscal year of July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
The 2025 SEMA Person of the Year will be announced during SEMA Show week on Thursday, November 6 at the newly reimagined industry homecoming--SEMA Industry Honors (previously the SEMA Industry Awards Banquet)--staged at the iconic Fontainebleau in Las Vegas. This red-carpet-style gathering brings together the industry's biggest names to spotlight standout achievements in the automotive aftermarket industry.
Learn more about the SEMA Person on the Year award and other SEMA industry awards currently accepting nominations at sema.org/awards.