The Finance Magnates Awards 2026 nomination process opens a path for brokers, prop firms, fintech businesses and their leaders to compete for industry recognition, but the route has more steps than a single online form. Understanding the sequence matters, because the CEO of the Year entry is gated: a company must first secure an official brand nomination before its chief executive can be put forward.
How the Finance Magnates Awards 2026 Nomination Process Works
The process runs across four stages. Nominations opened on 16 March 2026 and the brand and CEO nomination deadline falls on 11 September 2026. Public voting opens 28 September 2026 and closes 16 October 2026. Winners are announced at the Gala Dinner in Limassol, Cyprus, on 6 November 2026.
The first step is to submit a brand nomination form. A company can put itself forward, or an industry peer can propose it. If a third party submits the name, the awards team contacts the company before any place is confirmed. Submitting the form does not create an official nomination; it records interest and starts a review.
After receiving the form, a member of the Finance Magnates Awards team contacts the company to check eligibility, explain communication campaign options and agree the award group that best fits the business. Only after completing that process does the nomination become official. Each confirmed brand must compete in at least two approved award categories, with the final selection agreed with the awards team.
B2C or B2B: Choosing the Right Route
The entry route depends on who the company serves. B2C awards cover brokerages and prop firms serving traders and consumers, with participation available at Global, Regional or National level. B2B awards cover fintech businesses serving financial firms, across three groups: Institutional Trading, Services for Brokers, and Tech for Brokers.
For context, the Finance Magnates Awards 2025 B2C nominees included names such as AXI, CMC, Deriv, FP Markets, FundedNext, Tickmill and Vantage, giving a sense of the competitive field that confirmed entrants are joining.
CEO of the Year: A New Category for 2026
The CEO of the Year awards are new for 2026, marking the first time Finance Magnates has included individual leadership recognition within the FM Awards programme. There are two titles: Brokerage/Prop Firm (B2C) CEO of the Year and Fintech (B2B) CEO of the Year. One winner is named in each category.
Individual CEOs cannot enter independently. The CEO form is provided by the company’s Finance Magnates account manager, and is only available to companies already confirmed as official nominees. The person nominated must be the current CEO, must have held the role for at least six months, and must lead an active financial services or fintech company.
The CEO submission should focus on the last six to twelve months of work and results. Strong entries use concrete figures: growth data, product launches, client outcomes, market expansion, team results and sector contributions. Broad claims without supporting evidence are less likely to carry weight with the judging panel.
How Scoring Works for Brands and CEOs
Finance Magnates, incorporated as Finance Magnates CY Ltd, has covered electronic trading, banking and fintech since 2009. The awards combine public support with expert review, but the weighting differs by category.
Brand award winners are selected on a 50% community vote and 50% expert panel assessment. B2B brand categories are voted on by industry professionals through Finance Magnates channels; B2C categories are supported by the trading community through investingLive channels. A brand can compete in more than one approved category but is recognised only in the category where it scores highest overall.
CEO of the Year scoring tilts toward the judges: 70% comes from the expert panel and 30% from community voting. That weighting reflects the emphasis on proven results, team impact and submission quality. The 2025 awards followed a similar structure, with the Gala Dinner also held in Limassol on 6 November 2025, suggesting the format has settled into a consistent annual pattern.
Companies that confirm their nominations early gain more time to finalise categories, prepare the CEO submission if eligible, and take part in nominee campaign activity before voting opens. The deadline of 11 September 2026 is firm, and the confirmation process takes time after the form is submitted, so late entries risk running out of runway before the close.
