CATEGORIES & CRITERIA
What you need to know about participating in the CRN Channel Awards
Unlike other well-known awards, a panel of judges consisting of renowned, experienced channel experts evaluates entries submitted by participating companies for specific categories. We have defined criteria for each category that form the basis for the evaluation. We only evaluate projects or measures that are relevant to the Australian channel.
All information you submit will be treated confidentially.
We provide an online tool for submitting your entries. Follow the ‘ENTER NOW’ button in the menu or in the award categories below.
Before you begin your application, please read the conditions of participation as well as the description and criteria for your chosen category.
Vendors
AI and Automation Vendor of the Year
This category is open for those manufacturers who are active within the artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and automation space. Manufacturers must be able to demonstrate that they have helped their channel partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2025.
Channel Leader of the Year
The aim of this award is to find a channel boss with a focus on the Australian market who, in the opinion of the partners, has gone above and beyond their duties in the past year to ensure that partners are looked after, listened to and supported in an outstanding manner. This person has proven to be an integral part of the channel and deserves to be recognised for their efforts. Nominations can be made by either partners, colleagues or yourself.
Cloud Vendor of the Year
This category is open to all cloud services providers, regardless of whether they sell a physical or virtual product. This includes manufacturers/developers of cloud-based software and providers of cloud services/products of any kind for distribution. Participating vendors must be able to demonstrate that they have helped their channel partners build and grow a profitable business in 2025.
Emerging Vendor of the Year
This category is open to all manufacturers/vendors who would classify themselves as relative newcomers in indirect sales and have worked with sales partners in Australia for at least one to a maximum of seven years.
Manufacturers must be able to demonstrate that they have helped their partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2025. They must also explain why they believe they can be classified as an emerging vendor.
Network Vendor of the Year
This category is open to those vendors that operate within the networking marketplace, be that SDN, UC, WiFi, AV, network infrastructure or peripherals and related services.
Manufacturers must be able to demonstrate that they have helped their channel partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2025.
Security Vendor of the Year
This category is aimed at all vendors that produce/develop software, hardware, systems or peripherals and services for the security market. Manufacturers must be able to demonstrate that they have helped their sales partners to build and expand a profitable business in 2025.
Storage Vendor of the year
The award is open to all vendors active in the infrastructure and/or storage sector. This includes manufacturers of servers, network equipment, software, components or peripherals relevant to the infrastructure and storage market.
Manufacturers must be able to demonstrate that they have helped their channel partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2025.
Vendor of the Year
This category is open to all vendors who believe that they have delivered a particularly outstanding performance in the Australian channel over the last twelve months that deserves to be recognised as a top vendor in the CRN Awards. Any vendor, regardless of size, specialisation or focus, can apply for this award, but the focus of the application must be on the Australian market. Play it safe or take the full risk: applicants who have applied in a dedicated focus category – Storage, Security, Cloud, Emerging, Network, AI and Automation Vendor – cannot apply for "Vendor of the Year".
Distributors
Cloud Distributor of the Year
This award is open to distributors who either:
- Operate a cloud-based business unit
- Are fully cloud-based
- Help resellers get into cloud services or further develop their existing cloud offerings.
Entrants must demonstrate that they have helped their resellers and vendor partners build a profitable business in 2025 and that they offer real value around cloud services.
Pure cloud distributors or those who have a BU within your overall organisation can enter - but this must be explained in your entry.
Distributor of the Year
Whether it's a billion-dollar turnover or "only" a double-digit million revenue: Distributor of the Year can be a medium-sized, regionally operating VAD as well as the Australian organisation of an Australian or globally operating distributor.
It is not the (turnover) size that is decisive, but the quality of an outstanding:
- MEASURE
- INTIATIVE
- SPECIALISATION
... that has had a clear added value for specialised trade or manufacturer partners.
Prove success by documenting the added value based on the results of the measure, initiative or specialisation.
Divisions or subsidiaries of larger companies can ONLY apply in this category if they operate completely independently of the parent company.
Infrastructure Distributor of the Year
The award is open to all distributors operating in the infrastructure market, whether in the software, hardware or peripherals services.
Distributors must demonstrate how they have helped their reseller and vendor partners to build, develop and maintain a profitable business in 2025.
Pure infrastructure distributors or those who have a BU within your overall organisation can enter - but this must be explained in your entry.
Network Distributor of the Year
The award is open to all distributors that operate within the networking sector. This includes, SDN, UC, WiFi, AV, network infrastructure or peripherals and related services.
Distributors must show how they have helped reseller and vendor partners grow and maintain profitable business in 2025.
Pure networking distributors or those who have a BU within your overall organisation can enter - but this must be explained in your entry.
Security Distributor of the Year
The award is open to all distributors active in the cybersecurity market, whether in the areas of software, hardware or peripherals or related cybersecurity services.
Distributors must demonstrate how they have helped their reseller and vendor partners to build, develop and maintain a profitable business in 2025.
Pure security distributors or those who have a BU within your overall organisation can enter - but this must be explained in your entry.
Storage Distributor of the Year
The award is open to all distributors operating in the storage market, whether in the areas of software, hardware or peripherals or offering cloud-based/data centre storage and related services.
Distributors must demonstrate how they have helped their reseller and vendor partners to build, develop and maintain a profitable business in 2025. Pure storage distributors or those who have a BU within your overall organisation can enter - but this must be explained in your entry.
Partners
Best Community/IT Network of the Year
This award is ONLY open to companies that see themselves as an ISV, SP, MSP, MSSP, and VAR.
Vendor service and support departments do NOT qualify for this award and cannot be considered in this category.
This award recognises the contribution a ISV, SP, VAR, MSP or MSSP has done towards the community, be it through a group or platform that fosters collaboration, engagement, and support among its members.
For example, an online tech forum, a professional networking group, or a local IT association. It also recognises an ISV, SP, VAR, MSP or MSSP that has built or maintained an exceptional IT infrastructure, network security, or digital transformation project. This includes offering additional services, customisation, and integration as well as bundling software with hardware or through partnerships with other vendors to a customer.
Note, however, that CRN has separate categories ISV, MSP and MSSP of the year, so entries for "Best Community/IT Network of the Year" that showcase a community or network project will be favoured. Entries can relate to community and IT network projects for enterprise customers of any size in the year 2025.
ISV of the Year
This category is aimed at those organisations who identify as an independent software vendors (ISV) ONLY. This category is for ISVs to prove and demonstrate outstanding performance within 2025.
MSP of the Year
This award is ONLY open to companies that see themselves as a Managed Service Provider (MSP).
Vendor service and support departments do NOT qualify for this award and cannot be considered in this category. The business must primarily consist of managed services for end customers. This can include any or any number of "as-a-service" disciplines.
Note, however, that CRN has separate categories for MSSPs, ISVs, and Solution Provider so entries for "Best MSP of the Year" that are not related to IT security/cloud will be favoured.
Entries can relate to managed services for enterprise customers of any size. We ask that at least 75 per cent of your business is delivered via managed services (year 2025) to qualify.
MSSP of the Year
As IT security is an important topic for end customers, this category is aimed at MSSPs/IT security service providers who can demonstrate outstanding performance and solutions in the field of cyber security.
This category is open to all system houses/MSSPs/integrators that specialise in security solutions and services for customers of all sizes, regardless of whether they are SMEs, upper mid-sized companies or corporations.
Solution Provider of the Year
This category is aimed at those organisations who identify as a Solution Provider ONLY. MSPs, MSSPs, and ISVs must apply in their relevant category. This category is for solution providers to prove and demonstrate outstanding performance within 2025.
Solution Provider Innovation/Project of the Year
This award is ONLY open to companies that see themselves as a solution provider, this can include, ISVs, MSPs, MSSPs, and VARs.
Vendor service and support departments do NOT qualify for this award and cannot be considered in this category. The business must primarily consist of a project or innovation to an existing solution by a vendor. This includes offering additional services, customisation, and integration as well as bundling software with hardware or through partnerships with other vendors to a customer.
Note, however, that CRN has separate categories ISV, SP, MSP and MSSP of the year, so entries for "Reseller Innovation/Project of the Year" that are showcase an innovation or project will be favoured. Entries can relate to value added services innovation or managed services project or security innovation project for enterprise customers of any size in the year 2025.
This category is aimed at those organisations who identify as an independent software vendors (ISV) ONLY. This category is for ISVs to prove and demonstrate outstanding performance within 2025.
All IT Companies
AI Initiative of the Year
Artificial intelligence is here to stay and has already made its mark on the technology industry. It is revolutionising the way we work, drive innovation, plan projects and develop solutions. With this award, we honour a special AI-related project that has ideally already been implemented in practice and has demonstrably contributed to the improvement of business processes, has opened up or will open up new business areas.
However, strategic initiatives for AI can also be submitted if your company has entered a new business field at an early stage and wants to get ahead of the competition. The award is intended to be both recognition and inspiration.
AI can help customers of IT companies to make business processes more efficient, for example by accelerating product development or automating quality controls and work processes. The same applies to IT companies themselves that have improved their internal workflows using AI-supported tools or platforms. We consider submissions that can demonstrate the success of the use of AI both internally and in customer projects.
Best Young Professional Initiative
This category is open to all companies in the IT sector that are actively and proactively addressing the shortage of skilled workers. You have taken successful measures to attract potential employees to your company. You invest in training and further education or have an attractive career program that attracts younger employees and enables employees in your company to rise to management positions.
Channel Service Provider of the Year
This award is aimed at independent firms (NOT IT VENDORS) that provide a service TO the Australian. For this category we are searching for support services around marketing, training, PR, recruitment, product/price sourcing and finance that have been provided over 2025. This category is not for vendors or distributors.
ESG Achievement Award
A proper ESG (environmental, social and governance) strategy is a must for technology companies as more organisations put their employees first and commit to a more ethical and sustainable business model. This category is about showcasing a particular ESG project that a company has been working on over the past year.
We want these entries to provide good examples of how IT companies (manufacturers, distributors, system houses/MSP/infrastructure providers or even data centres) are making the world a better place, be it for their own employees and customers or the community.
The scope of this award is deliberately broad to give each company the opportunity to choose an ESG area that is most important to them.
Projects can range from a newly developed recycling strategy to an environmental and circular economy initiative, for example. Or it could be a charity project involving the whole company. They can also be projects in the areas of health, diversity and much more.
The focus on shareholder value and profit maximisation is legitimate. ESG is about responsibility far beyond one's own company. It is about people and community, about making a positive and sustainable impact on society.
With this award, we are recognising the work that so many companies are doing, mostly behind the scenes, to address the above (and other) vital issues. CRN wants to highlight the people and teams behind this vitally important work for the community and the environment.
Marketplace of the Year
Marketplaces have become popular over the years with more companies creating online sites for organisations to buy and sell technology. This award is for the company with innovative marketplace, that has grown in revenue providing the best solutions for partners and organisations.
Role Model of the Year
This award is aimed at all IT professionals who work for service providers/MSPs, vendors or distributors and do not act as dedicated channel managers.
A strong leader can not only help increase sales but also create a work culture in which employees can thrive. Are you a strong team leader and mentor for the employees in your company – in sales and distribution responsibility, in marketing, customer services or in product development?
What have you done for the team and why do you deserve to be recognised by CRN as a manager? The CRN jury will review the submitted candidates and reasons given and ultimately select the Role Model of the Year.
Security Initiative of the Year
Cybersecurity is not a nice to have but a need for every organisation. In 2025, we saw the uptake of cybersecurity services, products and programs to ensure that customers do not get breached or if they do, they are in safe hands and don’t lose valuable information to bad actors. While the threats may seem more ominous and confronting, IT companies are working around the clock to create state-of-the-art security initiatives to ensure that their customers are secure.
This award is aimed at those organisations who have created a security initiatives that have changed the game and think outside the box.
Start-up of the Year (Founded post-2020)
This category is open to all manufacturers/providers who would classify themselves as relative newcomers to indirect sales or the channel and have worked with sales partners in Australia for at least two years, and was founded post-2020.
Manufacturers must be able to demonstrate that they have helped their distribution partners to build and grow a profitable business in 2025. They must also explain why they believe they should be classified as a successful IT newcomer.
Woman of the Year
This award will go the woman most deserving of recognition for her achievements in the IT channel over the past 12 months as an all-around standout in channel acumen and leadership. She will be inspiring to others and will have brought about significant success and change in her organisation.
Far too few women hold leadership positions in the IT industry, but their commitment and success for companies are undisputed - whether at the top of a company, in managing partner ecosystems or manufacturer relationships, in leading technical or sales teams or in promoting talent.
With their work, they inspire others, their know-how is crucial for significant successes in their company, they drive change in their company or organisation, open up new business potential and help shape the future of their company.
Lifetime Achievement Award
With this award, we honour an entrepreneur who has made an outstanding contribution to the IT industry and created lasting value. A founder (or several founders) whose company continues to exist, has achieved a strong position in the market, has created jobs and lasting values - also far beyond their own company.
You are welcome to submit suggestions to the CRN editorial team: Athina Mallis, email: [email protected].
CRN will select the Lifetime Achievement Award from among the suggestions and its own candidates.