The awards honor individuals and companies that have made outstanding contributions to the automotive specialty equipment industry

Nominations open now until August 15, 2025

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) has opened nominations for its prestigious SEMA Industry Awards at www.sema.org/awards.

The SEMA Industry Awards are presented to individuals and companies that have made outstanding contributions to the automotive specialty equipment industry during the past year. The program recognizes honorees in six different categories: Channel Partner of the Year, Content Creator of the Year, Gen-III Innovator of the Year, Manufacturer of the Year, Person of the Year, and the Visionary 8.

“It takes hard work to grow an automotive specialty-equipment business – even more so to grow an entire industry,” said SEMA Manager of Recognition Programs Jose Escobar. “Award nominees should exemplify outstanding professionalism and service that has propelled the industry forward.”

Nominations are open for:

Channel Partner of the Year: Honors a sales channel partner for its 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 their outstanding contributions to the automotive culture and for creating a positive impact with automotive enthusiasts.
Gen-III Innovator of the Year: Honors a young, entrepreneurial individual, 40 years old or younger, who is creating innovative breakthroughs within the area(s) of industry opportunities, advancement, best business practices, technology, and/or trends.
Manufacturer of the Year: Honors a manufacturing company for its outstanding industry contributions and innovations.
Person of the Year: Honors an individual for their outstanding contributions to SEMA and the broader automotive specialty-equipment market.
Visionary 8: Honors eight emerging leaders on track to drive innovation and positive change in the automotive aftermarket industry. This award showcases up-and-coming talent, honors their accomplishments, and introduces them to their community.

The SEMA Show is where automotive icons and next-gen disruptors converge to celebrate the past, present, and future of the aftermarket industry. The festivities shift into gear on Tuesday, Nov. 4, with the Kickoff Breakfast, where 15 cutting-edge New Product Awards will be unveiled alongside top honors for Channel Partner of the Year and Manufacturer of the Year.

On Thursday, Nov. 6, the highly anticipated Visionary 8 and SEMA’s Best Engineered Vehicle of the Year winner will be announced live at SEMA Central. The momentum will continue the same day at the newly reimagined industry homecoming – SEMA Industry Honors – now staged 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, Gen-III Innovator of the Year, and the coveted Person of the Year.

Entries for Best Engineered Vehicle of the Year – a SEMA Industry Award that recognizes exceptional quality of engineering on a vehicle build – will open in August. Learn more at www.sema.org/awards.

About SEMA

The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) serves as a leading voice for the worldwide car culture, representing over 7,500 member companies that create, buy, sell, and use specialty-automotive parts that make vehicles more unique, attractive, convenient, safer, fun, and even like new again. Business member benefits include product development resources, market research, networking, education, legislative advocacy, and more. The Association organizes the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nev., and actively supports the career and business opportunities that the aftermarket generates. The industry contributes nearly $337 billion in economic impact to the U.S. economy, supports 1.3 million jobs nationally, and generates $52.3 billion in parts sales annually. For more information, visit www.sema.org.

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