THE ISS DESIGN AND LEADERSHIP AWARDS
The Event
Mark your calendars for the 2026 Awards Gala this October—an elegant evening celebrating the exceptional companies and individuals making a remarkable impact in the world of yachting.
The prestigious International Superyacht Society’s Design and Leadership Awards were created in 1990 to call attention to the outstanding achievements in the design and construction of large yachts.
Watch the 2025 Awards Gala Here
Watch the 2024 Awards Gala Here
Watch the 2019 Awards Gala Here
Watch the 2018 Awards Gala Here
RULES AND CATEGORIES
The Awards
ISS Yacht Design and Awards of Distinction
Yachts to be nominated by Yacht Builders, Designers & Refit Yards only.
Eligible sailing and motor vessels must be custom-built, the first in a production series, and 24 meters (79ft+) and up.
Registration for the 2026 ISS Design Awards is now open. To register, appoint one dedicated person to be the vessel administrator and create an account here. Each vessel administrator must obtain written permission from the yacht owner to participate in the awards process.
Vessels for the 2026 Design Awards must be completed, launched and delivered between January 2025 through December 2025.
For questions regarding yacht nominations, please contact info@superyachtsociety.org.
Vessel Categories Range From:
- Best in Sail 24m+
- Best in Motor <500 GT to 5000 + GT
- Refit
Artisan Award
sponsored by
Nominations by the yachting industry; selection is made by a panel of judges.
Artisans are found in all aspects of yacht construction: holding a welding torch or a chisel, working with needle and thread or precious materials. Their work may be permanently on display in the finished vessel, or out of sight, reliably delivering the high performance we have all come to expect.
Distinguished Crew Award
sponsored by
Nominations by the yachting industry; selection is made by a panel of judges.
Recognizes yacht crew whose distinguished acts of service best exemplify the standards to which professional yacht crew aspire within the previous year.
Excellence in Improving Yachting
sponsored by
Celebrating Active Stewardship of Marine Ecosystems—Nominations by owners and yachting industry; selection is made by a panel of judges.
We believe the future of luxury yachting is in the integration of resource management with the goal of setting achievable and sustainable standards to foster the conservation and protection of resources. This award seeks to recognize an individual or group working for our future to improve our build standards to conserve, rejuvenate and retain our blue waters. The award celebrates those who allocate our precious resources, plan, and make a difference with the goal of bringing back a healthy planet so future generations have the capability to sail our oceans with consciousness for centuries to come.
Leadership Award
sponsored by
Nominations by the ISS Board of Directors; winner is selected by the previous Leadership Awards winners committee.
This Award honors an individual (or company) whose distinctive work and commitment to the industry has contributed to the growth of the superyacht community worldwide over the years. The Leadership Award is chosen by the Previous Award Recipients to honor a new award recipient to this distinctive group of Esteemed Industry Individuals.
Excellence in Technology Award
sponsored by
Nominations by the yachting industry; selection is made by a panel of judges.
Open to every aspect of the application of technology to enhance yachts—with an emphasis on innovation and ingenuity—the Excellence in Technology award is given to a company that has demonstrated the successful application of new or enhanced intelligent design, use of materials, machinery or systems to advance the state-of-the-art of yachting.
ISS requests that nominations for “Awards of Distinction” be made prior to August 2026.
Those nominating are requested to complete and submit the form below. Once received, the nomination will be forwarded to the appropriate committee and ISS Board of Directors to review.
