2025 awards categories and criteria

There are 30 categories to choose from this year including several new categories: Best Marketing/Customer Acquisition Solution, Best Cryptocurrency Application for FIs, Excellence in Open Banking, and more. Take a look at the list of categories below.

Awards for Banks and FIs only:

Best Anti-Fraud/AML Solution

Given to a bank or FI that effectively uses technology to counter fraud and/or money-laundering, raising security levels without sacrificing customer experience.

Best Banking as a Service Provider

Given to a financial institution that excels at making banking and financial services available to non-FI organizations.

Best Consumer Lending Solution

Given to a bank or FI that excels in the field of consumer lending by offering quality products and an exceptional digital experience.

Best Customer Experience Solution

Given to a bank or FI that has created an exceptional customer experience for their users. Customer experience will include all aspects of a customer journey from onboarding/account opening through account management, customer service, etc.

Best Digital Bank

Given to a digital-only or digital-first bank that offers its customers quality products and an exceptional digital experience.

Best Financial Mobile App

Given to a bank or FI that has an excellent mobile app, balancing functionality, design, security, and usability to create an outstanding customer experience.

Best Marketing/Customer Acquisition Solution

Given to a bank or FI that is effectively using technology to engage prospective customers in creative new ways.

Excellence in Open Banking

Given to a bank or FI that is excelling in using open banking to meet the needs of their customers.

Best Wealth Management Solution

Given to a wealth management firm, bank or FI with an excellent new solution to give consumers more control over their future wealth and help them meet long-term financial goals.

Submit nomination

Awards for Banks, FIs, and Fintechs:

Best Consumer-Facing Payments Solution

Given to a bank, FI, or fintech company that excels in the field of consumer payments, making it easier for individuals to move money and make payments.

Best Corporate Payments Solution

Given to a bank, FI, or fintech company that excels in the field of corporate payments, making it easier for corporate entities to move money and make payments.

Best Cryptocurrency Application for FIs

Given to a bank, FI, or fintech company that excels at providing cryptocurrency solutions through traditional banking channels.

Best Enterprise Payments Solution

Given to a bank, FI, or fintech company that excels in the area of enterprise payments, balancing speed, ease of use, and reliability.

Best Fintech Partnership

Given to an FI and fintech company who are working together to build something new and groundbreaking. The partnership should allow them to do something together that is greater than the sum of their parts.

Best Generative AI Solution

Given to a bank, FI, or fintech that effectively uses generative AI to grow deposits, increase operational efficiency, improve customer satisfaction, or reduce exposure to risk.

Best ID Management/KYC Solution

Given to a bank, FI, or fintech company that excels in protecting consumer identities and satisfying KYC requirements without placing undue strain on end-users or sacrificing UX.

Best Insurtech Solution

Given to a fintech, FI, or insurance provider with an excellent new solution in the insurtech space.

Best RegTech Solution

Given to a bank, FI, or fintech company that excels in the field of regulatory compliance without disrupting customer experience or creating inefficiencies for bank employees.

Best SMB/SME Banking Solution

Given to a bank, FI or fintech company that excels at engaging with small and medium sized businesses by offering quality products and an exceptional digital experience

Best Usage of Stablecoins

Given to a bank, FI, or fintech company that is using stablecoins effectively to bring new value to financial institutions and their customers.

Excellence in Financial Inclusion

Given to a bank, FI, or fintech firm that excels at engaging with unbanked and under-banked people from around the world in order to give more people access to basic banking services.

Excellence in Sustainability

Given to a bank, FI, or fintech company doing excellent work in sustainability. Sustainability can be broadly defined as made up of three primary areas: economic, social, and environmental.

Excellence in Tokenization of Real-World Assets

Given to a bank, FI or fintech company that excels at tokenizing real world assets to benefit end users. These assets can be real estate, commodities, or anything else that’s present in the physical world and being tokenized in the digital world.

Most Impactful AI-Based Solution

Given to a bank, FI, or fintech company that is using AI strategically and impactfully to solve practical banking problems. The winning solution in this category will have demonstrable real-world results that couldn’t be achieved without AI.

Submit nomination

Awards for Fintechs and Tech Firms only:

Best Alternative Investments Solution

Given to a fintech or tech company that uses technology to offer investment opportunities beyond what traditional investment and wealth management firms are able to provide.

Best Back-Office/Core Services Solution

Given to a fintech or tech company that excels in back-office and/or core-services solutions, allowing banks and FIs to seamlessly manage their day-to-day operations while also giving them the opportunity to engage with new tech solutions and establish new products and processes.

Best Embedded Finance Solution

Given to a fintech company that has integrated its product, functionality, or offering into an existing technology stack without interrupting the existing user experience or to a bank that is successfully offering its services through non-traditional channels.

Top Emerging Fintech Company

Given to a fintech startup 2 years old or younger that is the most likely to become the next fintech unicorn.

Submit nomination

Awards for Individuals:

Executive of the Year

Given to an individual who holds an executive-level position at a bank, FI or fintech firm whose leadership has pushed their team to accomplish great things. This category is free to enter.

Innovator of the Year

Given to an individual whose innovative ideas and creations have had the greatest impact on financial technology. This category is free to enter.

Submit nomination