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AWARDS

What B2B marketing and channel awards measure

Awards are third-party evidence when the awarder, not the company, publishes the winner. We describe each programme from its own pages (researched 19 Oct 2026), say how it is judged and published, and say which of the twelve letters it informs.

We do not invent wins. A company is shown as named only when its name is on the official list page we read; otherwise the answer is “not found on that page”, which is not the same as “did not win”. Since score version 0.2 (19 October 2026), a listing on the awarder’s own page counts in the FOUND Score at the existing machine ceilings: at most 1 of 5 for Authority, and 2 for Authenticity when the award is review-based. Awards for people are not counted, and not being found never lowers a score. Only a person who verifies an award can lift it higher (see the method). Each peer’s listings, with source and date, are on its page at /peers.

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CRN Partner Program Guide (5-Star)

CRN, a brand of The Channel Company

Recognises
a vendor's partner programme. Entry: Application: the guide is based on detailed applications submitted by vendors.
What it measures
How complete a vendor's channel programme is: incentives, resources, training, services and benefits (CRN's description). The 5-Star designation goes to the most comprehensive programmes.
How winners are published
Annual CRN articles by technology category (security, software, networking and others) naming 5-Star vendors; vendors also announce it in their own releases.
Cadence
Annual. The 2026 lists were published in March 2026.
How it can enter the FOUND Score
Nods (Authority): a named 5-Star listing on CRN's own list is third-party recognition of the partner programme. Machine-checkable by reading CRN's list page for the company name. A company page that only says it won is self-published.
What it teaches a marketer
What partners are told to expect from a programme. It is a ready-made checklist for a mid-size vendor: training, marketing resources, pre- and post-sales support, regular communication.
Limits
Entry is by application, so absence from a list can mean 'did not apply'. Slideshow pages can be split over several pages, so a name missing from the page we read is not proof of absence.
Peers listed on the list pages we read
Zscaler (list, read 19 Oct 2026), Palo Alto Networks (list, read 19 Oct 2026), Fortinet (list, read 19 Oct 2026), SentinelOne (list, read 19 Oct 2026), Cloudflare (list, read 19 Oct 2026), Tenable (list, read 19 Oct 2026), Qualys (list, read 19 Oct 2026), Check Point (list, read 19 Oct 2026), ServiceNow (list, read 19 Oct 2026), Microsoft (list, read 19 Oct 2026)

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CRN Tech Innovator Awards

CRN, a brand of The Channel Company

Recognises
a product. Entry: Application (finalists and winners come from applicants, per CRN's page).
What it measures
Products that offer significant advances in IT and partner growth opportunities, across 30 technology categories.
How winners are published
CRN's 2026 Tech Innovators page lists winners, finalists and entrants, with a data table of category, award and company.
Cadence
Annual. The 2026 list is dated 5 August 2026 on CRN's rankings page.
How it can enter the FOUND Score
Nods (Authority, Relevance) for a category-specific product award from an editorial team. Machine-checkable from CRN's list page. Chosen by CRN staff, so it is editorial, not customer-reviewed.
What it teaches a marketer
Category language: the winners are named under a narrow category, which is the same specificity AI answers reward.
Limits
Applicants only. The list page loads its table by script, so a plain read may not see every name.
Peers listed on the list pages we read
None listed on the pages we read. The pages may be split over several screens or load names by script.

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CRN Channel Chiefs

CRN, a brand of The Channel Company

Recognises
a person (the head of a vendor's channel). Entry: Editorial selection, with channel-chief applications used for the 50 Most Influential slideshow.
What it measures
Professional achievements, standing in the industry, dedication to the channel partner community and strategies for channel growth and innovation (CRN's stated basis).
How winners are published
A sortable directory on CRN.com and a 50 Most Influential slideshow naming the person and company.
Cadence
Annual. 2026 list dated 2 February 2026.
How it can enter the FOUND Score
A person is recognised, not the company. We treat it as a context signal for partner marketing, not as company-level evidence for the FOUND score.
What it teaches a marketer
Having a named channel leader who is visible to partners is itself a recognised practice.
Limits
Individuals. Not a rating of the programme.
Peers listed on the list pages we read
CrowdStrike (list, read 19 Oct 2026), Zscaler (list, read 19 Oct 2026), Palo Alto Networks (list, read 19 Oct 2026), Fortinet (list, read 19 Oct 2026), SentinelOne (list, read 19 Oct 2026), Cloudflare (list, read 19 Oct 2026), Tenable (list, read 19 Oct 2026), ServiceNow (list, read 19 Oct 2026), Microsoft (list, read 19 Oct 2026)

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CRN Women of the Channel and Women of the Year

CRN / The Channel Company

Recognises
a person (and, for Women of the Year, selected companies). Entry: Editorial list, plus a separate application-based awards gala.
What it measures
Individual standing within and contribution to the channel, per the programme's own FAQ.
How winners are published
Editorial list on CRN.com (over 1,700 women, per CRN's rankings page); the Women of the Year gala is held in December.
Cadence
Annual.
How it can enter the FOUND Score
People recognition. Context only for the FOUND score.
What it teaches a marketer
Leadership visibility inside the channel community.
Limits
Individuals. Regional lists exist (UK, Asia, Australia).
Peers listed on the list pages we read
Not checked: no list page is read for this programme.

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G2 Best Software Awards

G2

Recognises
a company or product. Entry: Review-based (no entry fee or application is described on the methodology page we read).
What it measures
Verified user reviews from the previous calendar year, scored on Satisfaction and Market Presence. At least 10 reviews are needed. Top 100 companies and top 100 products; top 50 by function.
How winners are published
G2's own announcement and award pages; companies show the badge on their sites.
Cadence
Annual, published early in the year.
How it can enter the FOUND Score
Opinions (Authenticity, Recency): a G2 badge links to reviews the company does not write. Machine-checkable as a link to g2.com on the company's site (the existing review-links check) and as a name on G2's list page. It cannot show the reviews are genuine.
What it teaches a marketer
Review volume in the last year is the lever, not a one-off campaign. The 10-review floor is where a mid-size company can start.
Limits
Reviews can be solicited. G2's own rules decide what counts.
Peers listed on the list pages we read
HubSpot (list, read 19 Oct 2026), Salesforce (list, read 19 Oct 2026), Google (list, read 19 Oct 2026)

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Gartner Peer Insights Customers' Choice

Gartner

Recognises
a vendor in a market. Entry: Review-based.
What it measures
Vendors meeting or exceeding the market average on Overall Experience and on User Interest and Adoption, from reviews in an 18-month window (first six months weighted 50%), from end users at companies above USD 50 million revenue.
How winners are published
Gartner's Customers' Choice pages; vendors publish the badge. Only recognition the company itself publishes is counted here.
Cadence
Annual, by market.
How it can enter the FOUND Score
Opinions and Nods: a Customers' Choice mention or link on the company's own site is machine-checkable (Gartner named on the page). It remains self-published unless a person checks Gartner's own page.
What it teaches a marketer
Review recency and breadth across a market matter more than a single high score.
Limits
We read only what the company publishes, not Gartner's product pages.
Peers listed on the list pages we read
Not checked: no list page is read for this programme.

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ANA B2 Awards

Association of National Advertisers

Recognises
a marketing campaign (brand and agency). Entry: Entry-based.
What it measures
B2B marketing work across categories such as AI and emerging technologies, demand generation and content marketing, judged in two rounds (290 leaders, then a 12-member top jury in 2026).
How winners are published
Winners announcement and a downloadable winners list on b2awards.com.
Cadence
Annual. The 2026 winners were announced on 4 June 2026 (the 50th year).
How it can enter the FOUND Score
Underdog Moves (Originality, Utility): a campaign award is third-party evidence for a specific piece of work. Machine-checkable only as a name on the winners page.
What it teaches a marketer
Winning work is described with a plain business problem and a result. It is the shape to copy in case studies.
Limits
Entry-based. Agencies and brands both win, so check the brand.
Peers listed on the list pages we read
None listed on the pages we read. The pages may be split over several screens or load names by script.

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Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service (and American Business Awards, marketing)

Stevie Awards

Recognises
a team, department, individual or solution. Entry: Entry-based.
What it measures
Average scores from juries of professionals (more than 170 on eight juries in 2026) across sales, customer service and related categories.
How winners are published
Winners by category on sales.stevieawards.com and aba.stevieawards.com.
Cadence
Annual. The 2026 gala was on 5 March 2026.
How it can enter the FOUND Score
Nods: a named category win on the Stevie winners page. Machine-checkable as a name on that page. Categories vary widely in weight.
What it teaches a marketer
Sales enablement and customer service practice is recognised by category, which shows what buyers and sellers value.
Limits
Entry-based, many categories. We did not verify entry fees.
Peers listed on the list pages we read
Okta (list, read 19 Oct 2026), Rapid7 (list, read 19 Oct 2026), ServiceNow (list, read 19 Oct 2026)

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CMI Content Marketing Awards

Content Marketing Institute

Recognises
a content programme. Entry: Entry-based (winners and finalists published by category).
What it measures
Content marketing projects, results and experiences.
How winners are published
Winners and finalists by category on contentmarketingawards.com.
Cadence
Annual (2026 winners page).
How it can enter the FOUND Score
Underdog Moves: a content award shows original, useful content was recognised. Machine-checkable as a name on the winners page.
What it teaches a marketer
Buyer-first content projects are what win. One 2026 finalist title read: 'Buyer-First Content Engine for Machine Builders'.
Limits
Method not read in detail.
Peers listed on the list pages we read
Freshworks (list, read 19 Oct 2026)

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SIIA CODiE Awards

Software & Information Industry Association

Recognises
a software or information product. Entry: Entry-based (Leadership & Impact nominations were open to 30 October 2026, winners due 16 December).
What it measures
Product awards across categories. Judging method not read.
How winners are published
Winners at codieawards.com/winners.
Cadence
Annual.
How it can enter the FOUND Score
Nods: a named product win on the CODiE winners page. Machine-checkable as a name on the page.
What it teaches a marketer
Not studied further.
Limits
We did not read the judging method.
Peers listed on the list pages we read
None listed on the pages we read. The pages may be split over several screens or load names by script.

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MarketingSherpa Awards (Best in Show, case studies)

MarketingSherpa (MECLABS Institute)

Recognises
a marketing campaign. Entry: Submission (a speaking submission, in the examples read).
What it measures
Campaigns chosen for Best in Show at MarketingSherpa Summits, written up as case studies with results.
How winners are published
Case study articles on marketingsherpa.com.
Cadence
Not found for a current cycle. The case studies read are dated 2014 to 2016.
How it can enter the FOUND Score
Underdog Moves: a case study of a campaign is evidence of a specific tactic. We found no current awards list, so no peer is checked against it.
What it teaches a marketer
Older case studies are still a source of tested B2B ideas, such as making the customer the hero. They are not a current winners list.
Limits
No 2026 awards list found. Not used in the peer check.
Peers listed on the list pages we read
Not checked: no list page is read for this programme.

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Channel Futures MSP 501

Channel Futures

Recognises
a managed service provider. Entry: Application-based ranking of MSPs.
What it measures
Ranks managed service providers, not technology vendors.
How winners are published
Annual winners list.
Cadence
Annual (2026 list published).
How it can enter the FOUND Score
Not applicable to listed vendors. Useful only as a way to see which partners a vendor works with.
What it teaches a marketer
It is a list of partners, not of vendors.
Limits
Out of scope for peer scoring.
Peers listed on the list pages we read
Not checked: no list page is read for this programme.

How to use awards, as a marketer

  • Read the winner pages for the shape of the work: a plain problem, a stated result, a named customer or partner.
  • Prefer lists the awarder publishes over badges on your own site; link to the awarder’s page so a machine and a buyer can both check it.
  • Treat entry-based awards as a way to be seen, not proof of rank: absence from a list can mean the company did not apply.
  • For partner marketing, the CRN Partner Program Guide criteria (training, resources, support, communication) are a ready checklist for your own programme.

Awards are one kind of proof. Start with your own baseline.

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