By Ashley Reyes
Editor's Note: This story was originally published on Thursday, August 13.
Members have until Friday, August 14, to nominate candidates for the prestigious SEMA Industry Awards at www.sema.org/awards.
Presented during the SEMA Show, the awards recognize outstanding businesses and individuals whose leadership, innovation and service are making a lasting impact on the specialty-equipment industry. Nominations are open in five different categories: Channel Partner of the Year, Content Creator of the Year, Manufacturer of the Year, Person of the Year and the Visionary 8.
It takes dedication, hard work and drive to build and grow an automotive specialty-equipment business, and even more so to grow an entire industry. Nominating a deserving candidate helps ensure that those shaping the industry's future are recognized for their impact. By recognizing meaningful contributions, SEMA can inspire continuous innovation, encourage industry involvement and strengthen the businesses and people that keep the aftermarket thriving.
Do you know a company or person that fits the criteria? Now is your chance to speak up.
Nominate today for:
- Channel Partner of the Year: Honors a sales channel partner for outstanding service to the sales, distribution, retail and/or e-commerce channel(s) of the industry. This includes maintaining proper inventories to service its respective channel and exceeding standards in providing suppliers with input and regular communication to help their products and programs succeed.
- Content Creator of the Year: Honors a content creator for outstanding contributions to the automotive culture and for creating a positive impact with automotive enthusiasts.
- Manufacturer of the Year: Honors a manufacturing company for outstanding industry contributions and innovations.
- Person of the Year: Honors an individual for outstanding contributions to SEMA and the broader automotive specialty-equipment market.
- Visionary 8: Honors eight emerging leaders age 35 and under who are on track to drive innovation and positive change in the automotive aftermarket. This award showcases up-and-coming talent, honors their accomplishments and introduces them to their community.
2026 SEMA Show to Celebrate the Industry's Best
The 2026 SEMA Show, held November 3-6 in Las Vegas, will bring together automotive icons and next-gen disruptors to celebrate the past, present and future of the aftermarket industry. The festivities shift into gear on Tuesday, November 3, with the Kickoff Breakfast, where 15 products will be recognized with New Product Awards alongside top honors for Channel Partner of the Year and Manufacturer of the Year.
On Thursday, November 5, the highly anticipated Visionary 8 and Best Engineered Vehicle of the Year winner will be announced live at SEMA Central. The momentum will continue during the SEMA Industry Honors, celebrated at the iconic Fontainebleau. This red-carpet-style gathering brings together the industry's biggest names to spotlight standout achievements, including Content Creator of the Year and Person of the Year.
Nominations for Best Engineered Vehicle of the Year––a SEMA Industry Award that recognizes exceptional quality of engineering on a vehicle build––will open in later this month.
Learn more at www.sema.org/awards.
