Dallas, September 8, 2025
News Summary
The Innovation Awards 2026 invite submissions recognizing innovators in North Texas. With nominations closing on September 12, 2025, the awards span 23 categories celebrating advances in sectors like aerospace, biotech, AI, and more. No entry fees are required, fostering participation across diverse industries. Finalists will be featured in a publication, while winners will be revealed at a special event in early 2026, acknowledging contributions to the innovation ecosystem.
Dallas: The nomination period for The Innovation Awards 2026 closes at midnight on Friday, September 12, 2025, inviting submissions that recognize innovators across North Texas in sectors such as aerospace, biotech, artificial intelligence, energy, sports, culture, banking, cybersecurity and robotics. The program will present awards in 23 categories—including 8 individual honors and 15 company awards—with finalists to be highlighted in a January/February 2026 publication and winners announced at a special event in early 2026.
What to know — key details up front
Nominations are open through the stated deadline with no entry fees. The awards are presented by two regional organizations and are designed to identify and honor entrepreneurs, executives and trailblazers driving measurable change in the North Texas economy. New categories for 2026 expand recognition to emerging roles and sectors, and company awards will be organized to reflect size and scale.
Categories and eligibility
The award program includes 23 total categories. New categories added for 2026 include Chief AI Officer among individual honors and Innovation in Law among company awards. Company-level CIO/CTO awards will use size bands to ensure fair comparison: companies with annual revenue under $50 million will be classified as “small,” while those with revenue over $1 billion will be classified as “mega.” Nominations are encouraged from diverse industries and organizational sizes across the North Texas region.
Selection, recognition and timeline
Finalists will be highlighted in a January/February 2026 issue of a regional business publication. Winners will be announced at a dedicated awards event in early 2026 and will receive additional coverage on a regional innovation platform. The nomination window ends at midnight on September 12, 2025; subsequent stages include finalist selection, editorial highlight in January/February, and a winners announcement at the event in early 2026. There are no fees to enter or to be considered.
What the awards aim to recognize
The program seeks to document and honor individuals and companies that bring new technologies, business models and services to market, strengthen local industry clusters, or otherwise create measurable economic impact. Eligible nominations span large and small enterprises, startups, nonprofits and individual leaders whose work affects North Texas’s innovation ecosystem.
Past winners and sector highlights
Recent honorees have reflected a wide range of paths and sectors. Past winners included a 90-year-old aerospace manufacturer and a biotech startup focused on advanced restoration science. Other past-recognized initiatives blended culture and education, such as a partnership between a music industry pioneer and a technology executive to teach coding in Southern Dallas schools. Sports organizations have also been noted for adapting media access policies under changing industry pressures.
Industry leaders highlighted in recent awards cycles include companies working on tiltrotor aircraft and transportation autonomy, as well as firms specializing in drone detection for secure sites. Individual stories exemplify varied routes to impact: one past recipient moved from volunteer work in hospice care to operating a company serving thousands of patients daily.
Organizational and community context
The awards program functions as a regional recognition mechanism linking business editors, innovation platforms and local stakeholders. Organizers and regional partners have characterized North Texas as an area with a diverse and collaborative innovation ecosystem that spans established manufacturers, defense and transportation firms, biotech startups, and technology companies focused on AI and cybersecurity.
How to submit
Nomination submissions use the official nomination process established by the awards program and must be received by the deadline of September 12, 2025. Nominees should represent work that is based in, significantly impacts, or is headquartered in the North Texas region. There are no fees to submit a nomination; submission details and specific category criteria are set by the awards administrators.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the nomination deadline?
The nomination deadline is midnight on Friday, September 12, 2025.
Who is eligible to be nominated?
Individuals and companies whose work is based in or significantly impacts North Texas across sectors such as aerospace, biotech, AI, energy, sports, culture, banking, cybersecurity and robotics are eligible. Specific category eligibility criteria are determined by the awards program.
Are there fees to enter?
There are no entry fees; nominations are free to submit.
What are the new categories for 2026?
New categories include Chief AI Officer among individual honors and Innovation in Law among company awards.
How are companies grouped for CIO/CTO awards?
Companies will be categorized by revenue for CIO/CTO awards: under $50 million as “small” and over $1 billion as “mega.”
Where will finalists and winners be featured?
Finalists will be highlighted in a January/February 2026 issue of a regional business publication. Winners will be announced at an early-2026 event and receive coverage on a regional innovation website.
When will winners be announced?
Winners will be announced at a special event in early 2026 following the finalist selection and editorial highlight.
Key features at a glance
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nomination deadline | Midnight, Friday, September 12, 2025 |
| Total categories | 23 categories: 8 individual honors, 15 company awards |
| New categories | Chief AI Officer (individual); Innovation in Law (company) |
| Company size bands (CIO/CTO) | Under $50M = small; Over $1B = mega |
| Sectors emphasized | Aerospace, biotech, AI, energy, sports, culture, banking, cybersecurity, robotics |
| Finalist coverage | Highlighted in January/February 2026 publication |
| Winner announcement | At a special event in early 2026; winners featured on regional innovation platform |
| Entry fees | None |
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
HERE Resources
Additional Resources
- Dallas Innovates: North Texas Innovation Nominations
- Dallas Innovates: Innovaters Alert – Apply Now
- D Magazine: Innovation Awards 2025 Winners Revealed
- D Magazine: Jennifer Sanders Tackles Urban Challenges
- Google Search: Innovation Awards 2025
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