The 23rd annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business has unveiled its finalist slate, drawing 1,500 submissions from 56 nations.
The awards recognize women entrepreneurs, executives, employees and the organizations they lead. Winners will be announced Nov. 16 at a ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York, expected to draw more than 400 attendees from across the globe.
Submissions originated from countries including Argentina, Azerbaijan, Myanmar and Zimbabwe. However, the 1,500 nominations across 56 countries averages roughly 27 candidates per nation, raising questions about representation in non-English-speaking and less economically developed markets.
Certain organizations dominated the finalist rankings. Cherishers 811 CIC, a British community interest company, led with 23 finalist nominations, followed by IBM with 20 nominations across various locations. Purpol Marketing Ltd, another UK-based firm, registered 16 nominations.
Award categories include "Executive of the Year," "Entrepreneur of the Year," "Startup of the Year," "Women Helping Women" and "Woman-led Organization/Company." The "Women Helping Women" category recognizes mentorship and peer support as professional contributions.
More than 200 professionals served on seven separate juries, scoring submissions independently before scores were averaged.
Finalists emerged from diverse sectors, including nonprofits, technology, healthcare, real estate and business services. Geographic analysis revealed clustering among Australian organizations and American firms concentrated around technology, real estate and business services. European representation concentrated in the United Kingdom and Spain.
Finalists from lower-income nations including Iraq, Myanmar, Nigeria and Pakistan indicate women's entrepreneurial activity spans economic development levels.
The full finalist list is available at Women.StevieAwards.com.
