Meet the Nominees: Affiliate Leaders Awards 2026 Shortlist Revealed

SBC has revealed the shortlist for the second edition of the Affiliate Leaders Awards, taking place at Lisbon's MEO Arena on Wednesday, 30 September.

More than 400 affiliate and performance marketing professionals will attend the ceremony, where 20 awards will recognise achievements across affiliates, operator programmes, technology, marketing, content, acquisition and industry leadership.

Hub Affiliations leads this year's shortlist with eight nominations, followed by AFFPRO and KR3W with five each. Betandeal, Matching Visions, SlotCatalog and Vault Network have each secured four.

Members of the industry can now vote for their preferred nominees through the Affiliate Leaders Awards website. The final results will blend the public vote with confidential scoring from an independent panel of industry judges, giving both the wider affiliate community and experienced professionals a direct role in deciding who wins on the night.

Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC, said: “Launching Affiliate Leaders Summit as a standalone event reflects our long-term commitment to the affiliate and performance marketing community.

“Now in its second year, the Affiliate Leaders Awards gives us the opportunity to celebrate what makes this sector so important, recognising the leadership, innovation and achievements of the individuals and companies driving it forward.”

Across the headline affiliate categories, Betandeal, Hub Affiliations and KR3W are among the contenders for Casino Affiliate of the Year, while reigning Sports Affiliate of the Year Flashscore returns to defend its title against names including Better Collective, Clever Advertising and Spotlight Sports Group.

In the operator categories, 2025 winner bet365 Partners is shortlisted for Affiliate Programme of the Year – Large alongside Betsson Group Affiliates, Boomerang Partners and NOVIBET. Meanwhile, Vegas Legends will seek a second successive Affiliate Programme of the Year – Medium/Small title.

The Best Affiliate Network category features several of this year's most recognised nominees, including AFFPRO, Hub Affiliations, KR3W and Vault Network.

In the supplier categories, RavenTrack will seek a second consecutive Affiliate Management Platform of the Year title, while 1spin4win returns to defend Casino Title of the Year against names including BGaming, Evolution, Evoplay and Pragmatic Play. Elsewhere, AFFPRO, PartnerMatrix, SlotCatalog and Vault Network are among those competing for Affiliate Technology of the Year.

Elsewhere, the shortlist will celebrate achievements across affiliate campaigns, traffic acquisition, content, product innovation and individual leadership. The Affiliate Leader of the Year award will remain under wraps until the ceremony, with the recipient revealed live on the night.

Finally, the Rising Star of the Year category will spotlight emerging businesses making an impact across the affiliate and performance marketing sector, with BIG4PLAY, BIZZU, Cape Media, GottaGamble, KR3W, Trident Media Buying Agency and Vault Network competing for the award.

Taking place during Affiliate Leaders Summit, the Affiliate Leaders Awards will bring the affiliate and performance marketing community together for an evening of recognition, networking and celebration at the MEO Arena.

The complete Affiliate Leaders Awards 2026 shortlist is available on the Affiliate Leaders Awards website, where industry professionals can cast their votes. Voting will close on Friday the 14th of August.

Please note that a separate ticket is required to attend the ceremony, with individual tickets and tables available to reserve.

Reserve your table for the Affiliate Leaders Awards here.

FAQs – Affiliate Leaders Awards 2026 Shortlist

What are the Affiliate Leaders Awards 2026?
The Affiliate Leaders Awards 2026 recognise outstanding achievements across affiliate marketing, operator programmes, technology, leadership and content within the gambling industry.

Who organises the Affiliate Leaders Awards?
The awards are organised by SBC as part of the Affiliate Leaders Summit.

Where will the Affiliate Leaders Awards 2026 take place?
The ceremony will be held at the MEO Arena in Lisbon on 30 September.

How are the winners selected?
The final results combine public voting with confidential scoring from an independent panel of judges.

Who received the most nominations this year?
Hub Affiliations leads the shortlist with eight nominations.

When does voting close?
Public voting closes on 14 August.

Can anyone attend the awards ceremony?
Attendance requires a separate ticket which can be purchased individually or as a reserved table.

What is the Affiliate Leader of the Year award?
It is a special recognition presented to an individual whose identity remains confidential until the live ceremony.

Why are the Affiliate Leaders Awards important?
The awards recognise innovation, business performance and leadership across the affiliate and performance marketing industry.

Which event is held alongside the awards?
The Affiliate Leaders Awards are held during the Affiliate Leaders Summit in Lisbon.