Entrepreneur Awards Categories

These categories will recognize the achievements since the beginning of 2024 of individual entrepreneurs and founding teams.  It doesn’t matter when their companies were started, but the nominations must focus on their achievements since the beginning of 2024.
     Nominations that won in the 2025 ABAs may be resubmitted for consideration in the 2026 ABAs.  If they have been updated with recent achievements, they may be submitted to the same categories in which they won.  If they have not been updated, they must be submitted to categories different from those in which they won.

Information to be submitted online for entries in these categories for the 2026 ABAs will include

a. An essay of up to 650 words describing the nominee's accomplishments since January 1 2024, OR a video of up to five (5) minutes in length describing the same.

b. In bullet-list form, a brief summary of up to ten (10) of the chief accomplishments of the nominee since January 1 2024.

c. Optional (but highly recommended), a collection of supporting files and web addresses that you may upload to our server to support your entry and provide more background information to the judges.

D40. Founding Team of the Year
     a. Business Products Industries
     b. Business Services Industries
     c. Consumer Products Industries
     d. Consumer Services Industries

Best Entrepreneur (any member of the founding team of an organization may be nominated) 
D01. Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations
D02. Aerospace & Defense
D03. Apparel, Beauty & Fashion
D04. Automotive & Transport Equipment
D05. Banking
D06. Business & Professional Services
D07. Chemicals
D08. Computer Hardware
D09. Computer Software
     a. Up to 100 Employees
     b. 100 or More Employees
D10. Computer Services
D11. Conglomerates
D12. Consumer Products - Durables
D13. Consumer Products - Non-Durables
D14. Consumer Services
D15. Diversified Services
D16. Electronics
D17. Energy
D18. Financial Services
D19. Food & Beverage
D20. Health Products & Services
D21. Hospitality & Leisure
D22. Insurance
D23. Internet/New Media
D24. Legal
D25. Manufacturing
D26. Materials & Construction
D27. Media & Entertainment
D28. Metals & Mining
D29. Non-Profit Organizations
D30. Pharmaceuticals
D31. Real Estate
D32. Retail
D33. Telecommunications
D34. Transportation
D35. Utilities 
D36. Best Female Entrepreneur (new for 2026)
D37. Best Social Entrepreneur (new for 2026)
D38. Best Sustainability Entrepreneur (new for 2026)
D39. Best Young Entrepreneur (Under 35) (new for 2026)