Early bird entries are now open for the fourth annual Self-Driving Industry Awards, to once again celebrate excellence in automated mobility, in the UK and internationally.
Presented by Carsofthefuture.co.uk, the 2026 awards will follow the same peer-led format as previous years, with all entrants gaining the right to nominate deserving people and products for the top honours.
Winners at last year’s Awards
The reigning Self-Driving Vehicle of the Year is, of course, the Enviro100AEV bus by Alexander Dennis and Fusion Processing, which is currently taking passengers in a world-leading trial in Cambridge.
Editor of Cars Of The Future, Neil Kennett, commented: “SDIA26 promises to be the best yet. In America and China, the robotaxi market is maturing, with multiple operators going head-to-head.
“In the UK, we are being more cautious, but the big players are looking to deploy in London this year. Robotaxis aside, there are some fantastic examples of automation in public transport and off-road, notably at ports and airports. As always, we continue to provide scrutiny and highlight quality.”
Award categories
Cars Of The Future kindly invites applications in the following 12 categories (A-Z): Aftermarket, Consumer Service, Design, Fleet Operator, Hardware, Insurance, Legal, Research, Software, Testing, Trust and V2X.
As last year, SMEs and start-ups can apply under ‘Launchpad’ for a reduced fee. There’s further info on that on our Categories & Criteria page.
The deadline for entries is 5pm UK-time on Friday 11 September 2026, with all shortlisted candidates receiving an invitation to the glittering awards ceremony at the Turner Contemporary gallery in Margate in October.
Testimonials
As we look forward to the Self-Driving Industry Awards 2026, here are some lovely things that people said about last year’s event…
“This award is a fantastic recognition of the groundbreaking work we are doing to explore the technical and commercial opportunities for connected and automated vehicle technology in buses.” – 2025 Vehicle of the Year winner – Jamie Wilson, Alexander Dennis
“It was great to be acknowledged at the Self-Driving Industry Awards with Project of the Year for evolvAD. It highlights the work that Nissan UK has been doing over the last 9 years.” – 2025 Project of the Year winner – Robert Bateman, Nissan Technical Centre Europe
“It was an excellent event. I’m still not sure I’ve wrapped my head around the award, but it was great to see old friends and to make some new contacts.” – 2025 Industry Legend – Michael Talbot, Department for Business and Trade
“It’s an absolute honour to receive this award. Thank you so much. It’s been lovely getting to chat with you folks, you’re doing great work!” – 2025 Consumer Champion winner – Joel Johnson, AKA YouTuber JJ Ricks
“Very much appreciate being named Self-Driving Person of the Year. This sends a message that safety and innovation can co-exist and be mutually beneficial!” – Person of the Year 2025 – Professor Missy Cummings, George Mason University
How to enter or support SDIA26
Click HERE to enter SDIA26.
Interested in advertising or sponsorship? Please download the SDIA26 Info Pack
Performance will be assessed by the 2026 Awards Panel on criteria including commercial success, societal benefit and technical advancement.
There is no magic formula to writing a winning Self-Driving Industry Awards 2026 entry. One previous winner a sent five pages with multiple supporting documents, another sent a 150-word product summary. However, in general, we recommend this 3-step approach.
Any questions or queries, please check out our FAQ page or Contact Us
Good luck!
