The Finovate Awards are back, which means nominations for 2026 are officially open! Each year, the Finovate Awards recognize the companies, financial institutions, and individuals pushing the boundaries of financial services. The program highlights the newest tools, solutions, and ideas shaping how money moves, grows, and is managed.
Today, we’re unveiling the full list of 31 award categories for 2026, including several new additions.
Whether you’re building, partnering, or leading in fintech, there’s a category designed to recognize your impact. Check out the full list below:
Awards for Banks and Financial Institutions
These categories spotlight banks and financial institutions delivering standout innovation and customer value:
- Best Anti-Fraud/AML Solution
- Best Banking as a Service Provider
- Best Consumer Lending Solution
- Best Customer Experience Solution
- Best Digital Bank
- Best Financial Mobile App
- Best Marketing/Customer Acquisition Solution
- Best Wealth Management Solution
- Excellence in Open Banking/Open Finance
- Top Fintech VC
Why it matters:
In today’s era of increasing competition and elevated customer expectations, banks must now compete on experience, infrastructure, and ecosystem participation. These categories recognize institutions that are evolving beyond traditional models to meet modern expectations.
Awards for Banks, FIs, and Fintechs
These categories highlight collaboration, infrastructure, and breakthrough innovation across the ecosystem:
- Best Consumer-Facing Payments Solution
- Best Corporate Payments Solution
- Best Cryptocurrency Application for FIs
- Best Enterprise Payments Solution
- Best Fintech Partnership
- Best Generative AI Solution
- Best ID Management/KYC Solution
- Best Insurtech Solution
- Best RegTech Solution
- Best SMB/SME Banking Solution
- Excellence in Financial Inclusion
- Excellence in Sustainability
- Most Impactful AI-Based Solution
- Excellence in Stablecoins, Tokenized Deposits, or Tokenized Assets
- Excellence in Risk Management
Why it matters:
AI is moving from pilot and into production, tokenization is altering infrastructure, and partnerships are becoming the default path to innovation. These categories show the industry’s shift from standalone tools to a more connected financial ecosystem.
Awards for Fintechs and Technology Firms
These categories focus on the builders powering the next generation of financial services:
- Best Alternative Investments Solution
- Best Back-Office/Core Services Solution
- Best Embedded Finance Solution
- Top Emerging Fintech Company
Why it matters:
The most important fintech innovations today are often invisible to the end user because they are embedded into workflows, infrastructure, and platforms. These awards recognize the companies building the infrastructure behind modern finance.
Awards for Individuals
These categories celebrate the people driving the industry forward:
- Executive of the Year
- Innovator of the Year
Why it matters:
Behind every breakthrough product or platform is leadership and vision. These awards recognize the individuals shaping the direction of fintech.
Submit Your Nomination
If you’re building, scaling, or leading in fintech, now is the time to put your work forward. Submit your nomination today and save when you apply before the early-bird deadline of April 24, 2026.
The Finovate Awards are designed to spotlight what’s new and what’s working. And in 2026, when the industry is moving from experimentation to execution using a range of new technologies, we’re excited to help differentiate between the solutions that show promise and the ones delivering real, measurable impact.
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