Finalists of the 2026 WID Awards
The Women in Digital Awards were founded based on the idea ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’ and are a celebration of incredible women and non-binary people within the digital industries and the organisations that support them.
For the 2026 Women in Digital Awards, we again received a record number of nominations and completed submissions! It was not an easy decision for our panel of industry expert judges but we are so very excited to announce the FINALISTS for the 2026 Women in Digital Awards.
Meet the 2026 WID Award Finalists
The 2026 AI Leader of the Year Finalists, powered by The National AI Centre
This category recognises the growing importance of artificial intelligence in shaping our digital future by celebrating a dedicated and innovative AI professional.
The 2026 Allyship in Action (Manbassador) Finalists
This category celebrates an impact-driven individual who actively champions gender equity by using their influence to support, advocate for, and elevate others, thus demonstrating true Allyship in Action within the digital industry.
Jade Hughes
Allyship in Action
Business Information Security Officer
The 2026 Business Support Excellence Finalists
This category recognises an individual or team delivering excellence in business support functions that enable and accelerate business outcomes.
The 2026 Champion of Change Finalists
This category celebrates an impact-oriented individual who is driving meaningful change within the digital industry, whether through innovation, leadership, advocacy, or transforming the way organisations use technology.
The 2026 Cloud & Infrastructure Excellence Finalists
Recognising an individual or team delivering excellence in digital and connectivity infrastructure that underpins and accelerates national and global digital capability.
The 2026 Cybersecurity Leader of the Year Finalists, powered by Sekuro
This award recognises the incredible importance of cybersecurity and governance to keep us safe online by celebrating a dedicated and innovative cybersecurity professional. This is an individual category recognising Australia’s best female cybersecurity leaders driving innovation, strengthening resiliency, and influencing industry change.
The 2026 Data Leader of the Year Finalists, powered by Shell Energy Australia
This award recognises a distinctive business leader who has built a revolutionary data-centric program while guiding teams to outstanding achievement through vision, inspiration, creativity, and commitment.
The 2026 Digital Experience Excellence Finalists, powered by The Lottery Corporation
Celebrating an individual or team delivering excellence in digital experience – spanning user experience, customer experience, service design, and the end-to-end journeys that connect people with products, services, and organisations.
The 2026 Digital Transformation Leader of the Year Finalists
This award recognises a distinctive business leader driving the transformation of an organisation through digital technology. For this category we are looking for exceptional change, project and stakeholder management.
The 2026 Executive Leader of the Year Finalists, powered by Cisco
Awarded to Australia’s most outstanding executive leader in the digital sector, this category recognises the importance of leadership in driving digital transformation in Australia and across their organisation and industry.
The 2026 Global Impact Excellence Finalists
This award recognises an Australian-based organisation or team whose work has delivered measurable impact beyond Australian borders, whether through scaling a product or platform internationally, leading global digital strategy from an Australian base, contributing to international policy or standards, or building technology adopted across multiple countries.
The 2026 Growth Leader of the Year
This award recognises an individual delivering excellence in growth – spanning digital marketing, sales, demand generation, brand, content, performance marketing, and the strategies that drive customer acquisition, retention, and revenue in the digital age.
The 2026 Indigenous Leader of the Year Finalists
This award acknowledges First Nations’ voices are imperative in helping to build the technology we all use every day and are uniquely placed to use technology to solve problems that are specific to their community including preserving language and culture for future generations.
The 2026 IT Excellence Finalists
This category recognises an individual or team delivering excellence across the breadth of information technology – from infrastructure and systems administration, to IT service delivery, security, support, and the operational backbone that keeps organisations running and evolving.
The 2026 Product Excellence Finalists
This award celebrates the best of Australia’s talent in Product Excellence. From Product Analysts, to Product Owners and Product Managers and Product Leaders – this individual or team is delivering exceptional commercial results through product strategy, leadership, stakeholder management and more.
The 2026 Public Sector Excellence, powered by Datacom
This award recognises excellence in digital transformation by an individual or team, and the critical importance of effective digital capabilities within our public sector and government organisations. This award recognises the year’s most successful transformation of a government organisation or its service delivery through digital technology.
The 2026 Rising Star of the Year Finalists
This award recognises an ambitious innovator who has demonstrated an outstanding level of initiative and leadership as a digital specialist early in their career.
The 2026 Software Engineering Excellence Finalists
This award recognises an individual or team who has shown industry leadership in building and developing software.
The 2026 Technical Leader of the Year Finalists, powered by Auto&General
This award champions someone that leads the successful delivery of high-performing technology applications (or projects) and as a result enhances commercial outcomes for an organisation.
Attend the WID Awards
The awards gala is where the community comes together – providing a great opportunity to network with industry leaders.
Date: Friday, 6 November 2026
Time: 5:30pm – 11:00pm (AEST)
Location: Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane, QLD
Dress Code: Black tie, this is your chance to shine!
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