2026 Categories 

1. Top Performing New Advertisers (No entry required. See description below)
2. Best Influencer Campaign
3. Best Campaign Optimization
4. Best Global Campaign
5. Best Collaboration
6. Best Collaboration with Rakuten
7. Affiliate Team of the Year
8. Advertiser of the Year
9. Publisher of the Year
10. Lifetime Achievement Award

Award Category Descriptions 

1. Top Performing New Advertisers – New for this year, this category recognizes the highest-performing advertisers who joined Rakuten or the Rakuten Advertising network in 2025 with significant measurable performance. These awards celebrate advertisers that have demonstrated exceptional early success, strong partnership engagement, and meaningful growth.
   1. Rakuten Top Performing New Advertiser: Judged based on overall growth, program scale, and partner engagement.
   2. Rakuten Advertising network Top Performing New Advertiser: Judged based on growth and key performance metrics across any network globally.
       
2. Best Influencer Campaign - The winner will represent an advertiser or agency that has crafted an effective strategy to monetize their partnerships through influencer-facing initiatives. Judges will look for campaigns where brands and influencers worked together to create authentic and engaging content that produced impressive quantitative results.
    
3. Best Campaign Optimization - The winner will represent an advertiser, agency or publisher who is successfully utilizing unique data and insights available to them to optimize their campaigns and implement strategies that deliver results including increasing ROI, new customer acquisition, revenue growth, and more.
    
4. Best Global Campaign - The winner will represent an advertiser, agency, or publisher that demonstrates and successfully executes a global strategy in one or more regions. This award signifies constant improvement and dedication to the expansion of affiliate partnerships and the overall affiliate program within and beyond the US borders. To qualify, the program must be live and running in more than one country other than the United States.
    
5. Best Collaboration – This award will showcase a thriving and profitable partnership within the affiliate industry between an advertiser, agency, publisher or any combination. Judges will be looking for examples of unique partnerships, ongoing optimization, unique solutions, and overall success for all parties.
    
6. Best Rakuten Collaboration – This award will showcase a successful partnership between shared advertiser clients within Rakuten Advertising and Rakuten Rewards. Judges will be looking for examples of innovation, unique solutions, optimization, and overall success for all parties.
    
7. Affiliate Team of the Year - The winner will represent the Affiliate Marketing Manager for an Advertiser that continually outperforms and exceeds targets. They will consistently find ways to go above and beyond to create strong partnerships while optimizing every aspect of their program setting the gold standard for all-around program management.
    
8. Advertiser of the Year - The winner will represent an advertiser that has shown significant growth or achievement within the previous year. Judges will be looking for exceptional program management, including publisher relationships, incorporating innovative new technology, and driving growth in key areas.
    
9. Publisher of the Year - The winner will represent a publisher that has shown significant growth or achievement within the previous year. Judges will be looking for exceptional program management, including advertiser relationships, incorporating innovative new technology, and driving growth in key areas.
    
10. Lifetime Achievement Award - This award honor a person in the affiliate or digital marketing industry who has driven actionable change to move their industry forward. Judges will look for examples of their tenure and impact within their industry and will require testimonials for why this person is qualified to win.