Beyond the Hype, The AI Awards Seeks Out Real-World AI Innovation

The biggest AI success stories of the year are invited to be judged and celebrated ahead of July 24 deadline

LONDON and NEW YORK, June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The AI Awards, a recognition program from the internationally-renowned Cloud Awards, is now accepting entries ahead of next month's deadline.

Its leaders are calling for AI innovators to break through the 'hype' critics have levelled at the sector by offering up solutions for appraisal.

The Cloud Awards CEO James Williams said: "AI technologies have rapidly moved from experimental oddities to essential business infrastructure.

"To say this is a fast-moving cluster of technologies would be a gross understatement. We're not just laying the track as we're driving the train, we've got teams swapping out the train's internal systems, optimizing its mechanics, even altering the fuel it runs on.

"How to separate the hype from the exciting, investable breakthroughs being made every day in this field? The answer is clear to us, because we've been championing the biggest success stories in bleeding-edge cloud computing for the last fifteen years.

"We also generate a fair bit of marketing noise, but only for those innovators that deserve it. The AI Awards judging team spans all the household names in AI and technology. They know what a real AI breakthrough looks like, and they're waiting to see whose AI innovation is worthy of their accreditation. We can't wait to see what the world's best currently has to offer."

The Cloud Awards CTO Annabelle Whittall said: "In this fast-moving space, having a meaningful benchmark is essential to anyone's decision on how to best invest in this group of technologies.

"Whether you're looking to increase workplace productivity at the point of accessing the solutions themselves, or just want some signposting, recognition in The AI Awards is a gold-standard seal of approval."

The AI Awards features a comprehensive lineup of categories structured across four core pillars to honor excellence across the entire artificial intelligence landscape.

General AI Excellence celebrates overarching breakthroughs, including AI Innovation of the Year, AI Startup of the Year, and critical benchmarks for Ethics and Governance. AI for Business Operations honors workplace optimization, from Cybersecurity and HR to AI-powered Workflow Solutions. Technology Excellence spotlights technical execution, featuring AI Implementation of the Year, Automation, and advancements in NLP. Finally, Vertical / Industry AI Applications uncovers transformative, real-world case studies across specialized sectors, including Healthcare, Finance, Legal Tech, and Education.

The AI Awards program is a global recognition platform spanning the USA, Canada, the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and APAC. From disruptive startups to enterprise giants, these categories provide a prestigious global stage for organizations to demonstrate how they are translating AI potential into measurable impact.

Successful applicants to The AI Awards program receive international recognition, a marketing toolkit, and opportunities to further amplify their thought-leadership. Submissions made through the 'Success Suite' tier also receive expert judges' feedback on their innovations.

The entry deadline is Friday 24 July 2026.

Contact details

The AI Awards, an awards program from The Cloud Awards
Matthew Gregory – Head of Marketing
https://www.cloud-awards.com/
[email protected]
(212) 574-8117

About The AI Awards, an awards program from The Cloud Awards
The AI Awards is a pre-eminent artificial intelligence awards program from The Cloud Awards. This international awarding body has been recognizing and honoring industry leaders, innovators and organizational transformation in cloud computing since 2011. The Cloud Awards comprises five awards programs, each uniquely celebrating success across cloud computing, software-as-a-service (SaaS), cloud security, artificial intelligence (AI), and financial technologies (FinTech).

Winners are selected by a judging panel of international industry experts. For more information about The AI Awards, please visit https://www.cloud-awards.com/ai-awards/.

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SOURCE The AI Awards