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New for 2026, the Best of Show Awards at NAMM are here to honor the most ground-breaking products and revolutionary services showcased at NAMM in January. The Best of Show Awards are for companies exhibiting at NAMM 2026, acknowledging the very best on show at this year's event.

These awards, presented by three of our leading brands, provide a great opportunity for companies to stand out at one of the largest shows in the industry. There are a range of benefits, from fully licensed winner's badges to physical trophies for display, a suite of winner marketing assets and editorial coverage from our award brands, which include Mix, AVTechnology and Sound & Video Contractor.

Read more about the awards throughout this site or click the button above to start your nomination today!

ENTRY DEADLINE: 23:59 PST January 9, 2026

ENTRY FEES: $595.00 per entry

WHY ENTER?

With hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of new products launched at NAMM each year, it's a challenge for potential customers—both onsite or online—to find the new solutions they're looking for. Exhibitors can struggle to get attention and make their offerings stand out from the crowd.

Winning a Best of Show Award cuts through the chaos, highlighting a product that has been thoroughly reviewed by an expert judge from our trusted industry brands and deemed to be one of the best new products at the show.

For the first time at NAMM, the Best of Show Awards are here to honor—and help you promote—outstanding products exhibited at this year's show.

ENTRY BENEFITS

NOMINEE AWARENESS 

All entries will receive a fully licensed nominee badge to use in both digital and print promotions.

WINNER PACKAGES

Winners will receive a press release and social graphic, as well as a fully licensed winner's badge to aid in-house promotion. All of the winner assets can be used both indefinitely and internationally.

BRAND EXPOSURE

Winners will be notified via email and officially announced on the participating brands' websites. Winners will also be featured in promotional material for the awards which includes online articles, newsletters, social posts and subscriber-facing emails.

DISPLAY YOUR SUCCESS

Winners will receive a trophy at the show to display their success to NAMM attendees.

**Please note that trophies can only be guaranteed for winners that enter before 23:59 PST on January 9.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The Best of Show Awards 2026 are for all products being launched or on-display at NAMM 2026. If you're an exhibitor, you can make your product or solution stand out in post-show pieces by entering the Best of Show Awards. These products will be judged by both remote and on-site judges, providing you a chance to demonstrate what they're all about.

Any company registered to exhibit at NAMM 2026. Products shipping post-show may be nominated, but they must be shown publicly at the NAMM Show in January 2026.

You'll receive a nominee badge once entered, which is fully licensed and can be used to promote your entry both online and in print promotions.

If then judged a winner, you will receive a winner's package containing a fully licensed winner's badge, a social graphic, template press release, and a trophy to display at your booth.

Promotional coverage for winners will be published on participating brands' websites, in print and promoted in the brands' online newsletters.

All entries should be submitted by 23:59 PST on January 9, 2026. We reserve the right to consider late applicants as circumstances dictate.

Each entry costs $595.00 per product nominated, for consideration by your chosen Future brand. You may submit a given product to multiple brands, at $595.00 per entry.

You are able to nominate multiple products and/or into multiple brands. Simply create your first entry and if you would like to enter that same product into a different category, simply 'duplicate' the entry and change the category in the duplicated entry to your other chosen publication. Alternatively, if you would like to enter a different product, simply create a new entry after finishing your first. There is no limit to the number of nominations you can enter but please note that each entry will require a separate entry and payment.

By a panel of editors and expert judges who will review nominations against a set of judging criteria. Judging reviews will be based on your submitted information and an on-site review (the on-site review cannot be guaranteed). Our editorial teams will then assess the scores submitted and select winners.

Yes, the information submitted in the registration form will not be published prior to the convention or shared with anyone beyond the judges or editors.

Winners will be announced on the penultimate day of NAMM, currently scheduled for January 23, 2026.

The entry from will ask for a 500-word profile about your product. The 500 words should demonstrate the reasons why your product deserves to win a Best of Show Award. For example, we would recommend to cover the following:

  • Ease of Use/Maintenance
  • Performance against category standard
  • Richness/relevance of the feature set
  • Value/ROI
  • Versatility
  • Anticipated reliability

For your entry you will need:

  • Your product name
  • Your manufacturer name
  • Up to 500 words describing why your product is innovative and why it deserves to win a Best of Show Award (see above)
  • A high resolution image of your product
  • A product or company URL
  • Any embargo details
  • Your NAMM booth number/location and show point of contact

Please contact Beckie Sirs (beckie.sirs@futurenet.com) if you have any further questions.

ENTER TODAY