The American Business Awards Small Business

🏆For over 20 years, The American Business Awards has recognized organizations of all types and sizes across the U.S.A., honoring excellence in entrepreneurship, management, marketing, public relations, product development, and much more.

The 2026 program contains categories for small businesses (≤ 50 employees and revenue ≤ $10 million) that are profit or non-profit, public or private, large or small. There are also over 50 Entrepreneur Categories that recognize the achievements of individual entrepreneurs and founding teams since the beginning of 2024:

Entrepreneur Team Categories

Founding Team of the Year
- Business Products Industries
- Business Services Industries
- Consumer Products Industries
- Consumer Services Industries

New for 2026: Individual Entrepreneur Categories

Best Female Entrepreneur
Best Social Entrepreneur
Best Sustainability Entrepreneur
Best Young Entrepreneur (Under 35)

Best Entrepreneur By Industry Categories

(Any member of the founding team of an organization may be nominated)

Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations
Apparel, Beauty & Fashion
Automotive & Transport Equipment
Banking
Business & Professional Services
Computer Hardware
Computer Software
Computer Services
Consumer Products – Durables
Consumer Products – Non-Durables
Consumer Services
Electronics
Energy
Financial Services
Food & Beverage
Health Products & Services
Hospitality & Leisure
Legal
Manufacturing
Materials & Construction
Media & Entertainment
Pharmaceuticals
Real Estate
Retail
And many others

Learn More View all Categories

Past Stevie® Award Winners include top innovators across 70+ nations

Past winners leverage their Stevie wins to enhance their reputations, secure media coverage, attract top talent, and differentiate themselves in competitive markets.

Every year, world-famous companies such as Ford Motor Company, DHL, Michael Kors, and Salesforce are joined in the winners' circle by small and medium-sized organizations that are still building their brands.

Request your 2026 Entry Kit to learn how to submit nominations for the chance to get recognized and join the ranks of top business leaders!

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What Sets Us Apart

Small and large organizations compete on equal footing, with only 30–40% of entrants earning recognition, making each win truly prestigious.
Winners receive a comprehensive resource kit to maximize visibility and celebrate their achievements worldwide, in addition to the opportunity to attend an awards gala event.
Every entry is evaluated by a carefully selected panel of senior executives who volunteer their time to ensure fair, unbiased judging.

WHY ENTER THE STEVIE AWARDS?

Celebrate Your People, Standout in Your Industry, and Put Your Organization in the Spotlight

Since 2002, the Stevies have honored and generated public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of thousands of organizations and working professionals worldwide.

There are various benefits to submitting nominations to Stevie Awards programs. Whether you’re looking to boost visibility, team morale, or brand credibility, this is recognition that actually moves the needle.

We hope your organization will participate, and look forward to welcoming you into the pantheon of past Stevie Award winners including 1800Flowers.com, Adobe, AT&T, IBM, Intuit, Lenovo and Samsung, among many others.

Prestige

The Stevies are one of the most coveted and respected honors in the corporate world. The Stevie Award trophies are magnificent - a global symbol of excellence and innovation.

International Recognition

Winners are celebrated and recognized during our awards galas, featured across international media, and promoted to a worldwide audience.

Brand Exposure

Stevie Award winners leverage their wins to gain press coverage, boost their organization’s reputation, stand out to clients and competitors, and reach more potential candidates.

Credibility That Opens Doors

A Stevie win signals excellence to clients and leadership teams, making it easier to earn trust, support, and new opportunities.

Talent Magnet

Past winners use their Stevie recognition to attract top talent. The Stevies present a unique opportunity to showcase the creativity, innovation, and effectiveness of organization-wide achievements, individuals, products, services, and more.

Categories for Any Company Size, Industry & Achievement

The ABAs have 250+ categories for individuals, teams, departments, and entire organizations. There are many different types of achievement categories for everything from Marketing to Management, Social Media, Public Relations, Entrepreneurs, Apps, Events, Creatives, Technology, Sustainability, and AI.

Gain Valuable Feedback

The Stevie Awards are judged by many of the world's most respected executives, entrepreneurs, and business educators who are hand-selected from thousands of applicants. Entrants have access to all of the judges' comments; that's valuable feedback from and exposure to potential clients, partners, and industry leaders.

Read more about the judging process here.

Employee Satisfaction

Awards build internal pride and motivation. Winning a Stevie is a cost-effective way to celebrate your team's achievements, thank employees for their efforts, and boost morale.

Benchmarking

The awards are a great way to benchmark your achievements against competitors in your industry. Winning a Stevie Award validates your mission, people, and products, while measuring your success against the competition.

Celebrate Your Wins at Our Red-Carpet Galas

This year's Stevie Award winners will be recognized during a gala event in New York City, attended by executives from around the world.

Stevie Awards

70

+

Nations & Territories

3,600

+

Nominations Submitted

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250

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Judging Professionals

What Past Stevie Award Winners are Saying

"We are delighted to have won a Stevie Award: This prestigious recognition serves to validate and motivate the work and commitment invested by our worldwide team in developing, promoting, and supporting next-generation cybersecurity, backup, and security awareness services to exceed the needs of our partners and customers. Thank you for this honor!"

Angelica Micallef Trigona, Hornetsecurity Inc.

“This achievement solidifies our reputation as a trustworthy brand that delivers for our customers, and the engagement we're seeing gives us confidence to expand our reach to help more Americans than ever before to experience the retirement of their dreams."

Michelle Samuel, Head of Prudential Financial’s Direct-to-Consumer Business

"These awards are a powerful testament to what’s possible when you truly listen to your customers, understand their challenges, and focus on delivering meaningful solutions and lasting impact. What an experience!"

Andrew Meadowcroft, VP Customer Experience, Aires

"Winning a Stevie Award is an exceptional honor for our organization, as it signifies recognition from industry peers for our relentless dedication to innovation, quality, and customer service. We believe it further motivates us to continue setting new standards in our industry and deliver exceptional value to our customers."

Anubhav Saraf, Marketing Director, Shaip

Winners in the 2026 competition will connect and network with thousands of professionals from leading organizations across the globe at this year's gala celebration on June 9 in New York City.

While attendance is not required to win, all winners have the opportunity to accept their Stevie Awards on stage, deliver an acceptance speech, and get professionally photographed and interviewed on our red carpet. The awards ceremony is live-streamed worldwide.

Every winner receives a suite of promotional tools to showcase their achievements including winner logos, press release templates, and opportunities to be featured on the Stevie Awards blog, website, and social media channels.

Visit FAQ page for more details about the awards ceremony.

Awards banquet of The 2026 American Business Awards®

June 9, 2026

Marriott Marquis Hotel, New York City

Tickets for the awards banquet will go on sale on April 22, the day on which Stevie® winners* are notified.

*Winners are not obligated to attend the award ceremony or receive their trophies or medals to be deemed Stevie winners.