The Stevie Awards Blog

Technology Categories to Enter in the 2026 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service

Written by Nina Moore | Wed, Dec 17, 2025 @ 05:29 PM
 

Every organization has unique achievements worth celebrating. Whatever your organization wants to be recognized for, there is a Stevie Awards competition and category(s) for it!  From individual professionals and teams to departments and company-wide accomplishments, each of our nine awards programs feature dozens of categories recognizing excellence across every facet of work life.

With so many entry options, one of the most common questions we hear is: “Where do I start?” Our first piece of advice to entrants is to first decide what you want recognition for. Is it a standout individual, a new product or service, a successful implementation, or perhaps a marketing campaign, website, podcast, or sustainability initiative? Once you’ve identified the achievement, you can narrow in on the competition, then the category group, and then the specific category that’s the best fit.

This blog highlights technology-related awards categories in the 2026 (20th annual) Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the world’s top honors for customer service, contact centers, sales, and business development. If your organization isn’t eligible for this program, don’t worry-- you can explore categories in any of our eight other competitions by requesting the appropriate Entry Kit found on the right-hand side of this blog, or here. Our Entry Kits provide submission requirements for each category, entry preparation tips, entry fees, and deadlines.

Technology Categories in the 2026 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service feature over 150 categories honoring customer service, contact center, business development, and sales professionals, teams, and departments. They also include awards for new products, services, and solution providers supporting these functions. Whether your organization is part of the technology industry or you’re simply looking to showcase a technology-driven achievement, there's a category for you in this year's competition.

Sales Individual Categories  - Technology Related:

  • Sales Representative of the Year - Technology Industries
  • Sales Engineer of the Year (no entry fee)
  • Virtual and Pre-Sales Professional of the Year (no entry fee)

Sales Team Categories for Technology Industries and Professionals:

  • Sales Support Team of the Year - Technology Industries
  • Virtual Technology Sales Enablement and Pre-sales Team of the Year

Sales Achievement Categories - Technology Related:

  • Achievement in the Use of Data & Analytics in Sales
  • Achievement in the Digital Transformation of Sales Operations
  • Achievement in Value-based Selling Techniques
  • Award for Innovation in Sales - Technology Industries
  • Best Use of Technology in Sales
  • Sales Training or Coaching Program of the Year - Technology Industries

Sales Distinction Categories - Technology Related:

  • Sales Distinction of the Year - Computer Hardware
  • Sales Distinction of the Year - Computer Services
  • Sales Distinction of the Year - Computer Software
  • Sales Distinction of the Year - Startups & Scaleups - new category for 2026. Startups (since July 1 2023) and scaleups in any industry may participate in this category.
  • Sales Distinction of the Year – All Other Industries

Customer Service & Contact Center Individual Categories- Technology Related:

  • Front-Line Customer Service Professional of the Year - Technology Industries
  • Back-Office Customer Service Professional of the Year - Technology Industries
  • Young Customer Service Professional of the Year - Technology Industries

Customer Service & Contact Center Team Categories- Technology Related:

  • Customer Service Team of the Year – Recovery Situation - Technology Industries
  • Customer Service Complaints Team of the Year - Technology Industries
  • Front-Line Customer Service Team of the Year -Technology Industries
  • Back Office Customer Service Team of the Year - Technology Industries
  • Contact Center of the Year (Up to 100 Seats) - Technology Industries
  • Contact Center of the Year (Over 100 Seats) - Technology Industries
  • Customer Service Training Team of the Year - External - Technology Industries

Customer Service & Contact Center Achievement Categories- Technology Related:

  • Achievement in the Use of Data & Analytics in Customer Service
  • Award for Innovation in Customer Service
  • Best Use of Technology in Customer Service
  • Customer Service Training or Coaching Program of the Year - Technology Industries

Customer Service Department Categories - Technology Related:

  • Customer Service Department of the Year – Computer Hardware
  • Customer Service Department of the Year – Computer Software. This category is split into two separate categories:
    a. At Organizations With Up to 100 Employees
    b. At Organizations With 100 or More Employees
  • Customer Service Department of the Year – Computer Services
  • Customer Service Department of the Year – Digital-First Services - new category for 2026. Recognizing customer service operations that operate from a digital-first perspective.

  • Customer Service Success - Technology Industries

AI & Digital Transformation Categories (New for 2026):

Customer Service Individual

  • Digital Transformation Leader in Customer Service
  • AI & Tech Focused Customer Service Innovator of the Year
  • Customer Service AI Trainer or Specialist of the Year
  • Best Use of AI by a Customer Service Manager

Customer Service Team

  • AI & Tech Focused Digital Transformation Team of the Year
  • AI & Tech Focused Customer Service Team of the Year

Customer Service Achievement

  • Customer Service Achievement in Automation
  • Best Use of AI in Customer Service
  • Best Use of Chatbots or AI Assistants in Customer Service
  • Best Use of AI Integration in Contact Centers
  • Best AI-Driven Customer Experience
  • Achievement in AI-Powered Self-Service
  • Best Predictive Customer Service Using AI
  • Best Use of Generative AI in Customer Interactions
  • Customer Service Training Program of the Year – AI Readiness

Sales Individual

  • Digital Transformation Leader in Sales
  • AI & Tech Focused Sales Innovator of the Year
  • Sales AI Trainer or Specialist of the Year
  • Best Use of AI by a Sales Manager

Sales Team

  • AI-Driven Sales Enablement Team of the Year

Sales Achievement

  • Sales Achievement in Automation
  • Best Use of Chatbots or AI Assistants in Sales
  • Achievement in AI-Driven Sales Automation
  • Ethical AI Use in Sales

Business Development Category for Technology:

  • Business Development Achievement of the Year - Technology Industries

Solutions & Implementations Categories

These categories recognize sales, business development, contact center, and customer service-related products, services, and implementations since July 1, 2023.  Choose from over 50 categories for any Sales or Service Solution - from AI-Powered Sales or Service Solutions, to Sustainable Tech Solutions for Sales & Services, listed on this page.

Solution Provider Categories:

  • Sales Consulting Practice of the Year
  • Sales Training Practice of the Year
  • Sales Outsourcing Provider of the Year
  • Digital Enablement Provider of the Yearnew category for 2026. Recognizing firms that provide tools, strategies, or systems to digitize customer or sales operations, enabling agility, automation, and omnichannel engagement.
  • Incentive, Rewards, or Recognition Provider of the Year
  • Customer Service or Call Center Consulting Practice of the Year
  • Customer Service or Call Center Training Practice of the Year
  • Sales or Customer Service Solutions Technology Partner of the Year
  • Contact Center or Customer Service Outsourcing Provider of the Year
  • Leadership or Management Training Practice of the Year
  • Sales & Service Ecosystem Enabler of the Year - new category for 2026. Recognizing providers that integrate or manage multiple platforms and services, creating cohesive and scalable customer engagement ecosystems for their clients.

Thought Leadership Categories- Technology Related:

Best Use of Thought Leadership in Digital Transformationnew category for 2026. Recognizing individuals or organizations whose insights and content have influenced or guided strategic digital change in sales or customer service since July 1 2023.

 

Not sure which category is right for your nomination?

Email help@stevieawards.com to schedule a complimentary call with our Founder, Michael Gallagher. Receive no-obligation feedback and guidance on choosing the best competitions and categories to enter.

 

📆Please note: The final Entry Deadline is January 14. This deadline will NOT be extended.

Ready to Enter? Request Your Entry Kit 

Request your entry kit by completing the form below to view the full list of categories, entry fees, and helpful information to prepare nominations in the 2026 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. 

 

 

 

More About the Stevie Awards

Since 2002, the Stevie® Awards have honored and generated public recognition of the achievements and positive contributions of thousands of organizations and working professionals worldwide. Often dubbed the "Oscars of Business,"  our premier business awards are conferred across nine competitions*, each with its own focus (region or industry), list of categories, and schedule. Thousands of organizations in more than 70 nations take part in the Stevie®  Awards nomination process each year. Together, our competitions receive more than 12,000 nominations annually from global leaders like DHL, IBM, and Toyota, to fast-growing small and mid-sized businesses.

The Stevie Awards are judged by many of the world's most respected executives, entrepreneurs, innovators, and business educators. Entrants have access to all of the judges' comments about their entries, an invaluable resource.  About 30–40% of entries receive recognition annually, with winners taking home the coveted Stevie Award trophy. Learn more about the judging and awards process here.

*The nine Stevie Awards competitions include The American Business Awards®, the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business and the Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence.