Application Accepting Entries for MotorTrend, QNX, Vector Self-Driving Vehicle Awards by October 15th
The automotive industry is witnessing a significant shift, as software capabilities increasingly join and, in some cases, overshadow traditional mechanical benchmarks. This narrative is being reflected in the fourth annual Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) Innovator Awards, launched this week by MotorTrend.
In partnership with QNX, a division of BlackBerry Limited, and Vector, a German company renowned for its expertise in automotive software and development tools, the awards aim to recognise individual achievement and document the shift from mechanical engineering to digital intelligence in the car industry.
Nominations for the SDV Innovator Awards are open until October 15, 2025, and can be submitted at MotorTrend.com/SDVSurvey.
The awards are structured around three categories: Pioneer, Leader, and Expert.
The Pioneer category honours innovators who have broken new ground through research, development, or deployment of novel software applications in the automotive space. The Leader category recognises executives and senior managers whose decisions have accelerated the adoption of advanced software solutions across the industry. The Expert category is designed to highlight specialists working in disciplines such as artificial intelligence, advanced driver assistance systems, digital cockpits, over-the-air updates, in-vehicle entertainment, and autonomous driving technologies.
QNX's software has been embedded in more than 255 million vehicles worldwide, making it a natural partner for an awards program centred on technical achievement. Carsten Hurasky, senior vice president of marketing at QNX, described the awards as an opportunity to 'spotlight the contributors who are not just reshaping how the world moves, but redefining what is possible.'
Dr. Matthias Traub, managing director at Vector, emphasised the collaborative spirit behind the project, calling the program 'an excellent platform to recognise technically outstanding contributions' in the increasingly complex software-defined vehicle landscape.
The winners will be celebrated in January during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The winners of the awards will be announced at an invitation-only gala on January 6, 2026, coinciding with CES.
MotorTrend, founded in 1949, has long positioned itself as both a chronicler and an arbiter of automotive innovation. By establishing the SDV Innovator Awards, it has sought to extend that authority into the new digital era. Automakers now see vehicles as platforms for digital services, updates, and new revenue streams, a vision enabled by companies like QNX and Vector.
Previous winners of the awards have included figures from automakers and technology suppliers such as Nvidia, Qualcomm, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Rivian, Tesla, and Xpeng. The work of the honorees has ranged from breakthroughs in autonomous driving systems to advances in digital cockpits and the underlying architectures that allow vehicles to update and evolve post-manufacture.
BlackBerry, the Canadian company, has reinvented itself as a supplier of secure communications and foundational software, with QNX as one of its crown jewels. The awards reflect a larger narrative in the car industry, where software capabilities are increasingly joining and, in some cases, overshadowing traditional mechanical benchmarks.
