The Informa Channel organization has expanded the MSP 501 Special Awards program to honor the year’s best of the best in managed services. The 2025 Channel Partners MSP 501 Special Awards will highlight exceptional performance when it comes to individual executives, organizations and innovators across the $595 billion managed services ecosystem.

The Channel Partners MSP 501 Special awards will be presented at this year’s MSP Summit at the Loews Royal Pacific Hotel and Conference Center in Orlando, Fla., Sept. 17 at the MSP 501 Gala Awards ceremony. You can register here for the MSP Summit.

This year’s MSP 501 Special Awards will be presented in the following categories:

• The Channel Partners MSP 501 Vanguard Award
• Channel Partners MSP 501 Lifetime Achievement Award
• Channel Partners MSP 501 Newcomer of the Year Award
• Channel Partners MSP 501 Digital Innovator of the Year Award
• Channel Partners MSP 501 Executive of the Year, and
• Channel Partners MSP of the Year.

Some categories will include up to three individuals or organizations to represent the diversity of MSPs when it comes to such factors as business focus, revenue, employee headcount and geography. Awards are open to all MSP 501 and Next Gen winners. The entire 501 will be honored at the MSP 501 Gala, along with the Cloud, Cybersecurity, AI, and Woman-Owned/Operates MSPs of the Year. Those awards are determined by the financial performance of each company based on the detailed financial details provided by each MSP 501 applicant.

The 2025 Channel Partners MSP 501 Special Award judges include a who’s who of industry leaders including the Channel Partners Conference & Expo 2025 Circle of Excellence Winners; MSP Summit Board members and thought leaders from around the managed services industry. Applications are sent to all qualified MSP 501 finalists with the Channel Partners content reviewing conducting an initial review before sending nominees to this year’s judges.

“Winning a Lifetime Achievement award in 2024 was the highlight of my career,” said Neil Medwed, VP of corporate development and M&A at MSP Meriplex and a 2024 Lifetime Achievement winner. “We all work hard and many of us invest back in our community in different ways."

Here are the 2025 Channel Partners MSP 501 Special Award descriptions:

The Channel Partners MSP 501 Vanguard Award

This award recognizes t pioneers redefining the future of managed services. It celebrates organizations that transcend traditional MSP boundaries through groundbreaking innovation, strategic foresight, and measurable business impact. The Vanguard Award honors those who don't just adapt to industry evolution—they actively shape it, setting new standards that others aspire to follow. The Vanguard Award celebrates rare organizations that don't just excel at managed services—they fundamentally redefine what's possible. Winners demonstrate the vision to anticipate future needs, the courage to pioneer uncharted territory, and the excellence to deliver transformative results for their clients and their own businesses. To qualify, an organization must fundamentally reimagine managed services delivery through innovative technologies, business models, or service methodologies.

The Channel Partners MSP 501 Lifetime Achievement Award

This Channel Partners MSP 501 Lifetime Achievement Award goes to an individual for exceptional contributions to the technology channel and outstanding service to the industry. This channel executive has demonstrated inspiration to those around them, commitment to the channel, perseverance, creativity and ingenuity over an entire career. A person must be in the industry for at least 10 years to qualify. This individual will have made significant contributions to companies and individuals in the channel and impacted the formation of a channel partner organization, its direction or growth. Lifetime achievement also recognizes those who have impacted overall indirect channel sales strategy or partner program of leading technology providers.

The Channel Partners MSP 501 Newcomer of the Year Award

To qualify, applicants must be on the MSP 501 list for the first time and demonstrate exceptional business performance, innovative approaches, and market differentiation. The winning organization will exemplify the qualities that define the next generation of managed service excellence. The Newcomer of the Year Award celebrates exceptional organizations that represent the future of managed services—combining innovative business models, technological excellence, and client-focused delivery to create remarkable early success.

The Channel Partners MSP 501 Digital Innovator of the Year Award

This honor celebrates managed service providers who have transcended traditional service delivery by creating groundbreaking proprietary technology solutions that address critical market challenges. The Digital Innovator of the Year Award recognizes organizations that have successfully evolved from service providers to technology creators—developing innovative intellectual property that delivers exceptional client outcomes while creating sustainable competitive advantage. These visionaries don't just implement technology; they invent it, fundamentally reshaping how businesses leverage technology to achieve transformative results.

The Channel Partners MSP 501 Executive/CEO of the Year

This distinguished honor celebrates visionary executives who have redefined leadership excellence in the managed services and technology channel. It recognizes a transformational leader who has demonstrated exceptional strategic vision, decisive action, and measurable impact—navigating their organization through industry disruption while creating sustainable competitive advantage. The executive of the Year expertly balances business acumen, technological foresight, and human leadership that defines the next generation of channel excellence. The Executive of the Year Award celebrates rare leaders who combine strategic brilliance with operational excellence, technological vision with human understanding, and business success with positive impact.

The Channel Partners MSP of the Year

The MSP of the Year Award honors organizations that have mastered the delicate balance of technical excellence, business innovation, and human-centered leadership—creating exceptional value for clients while building sustainable, purpose-driven businesses. These organizations don't just adapt to industry evolution—they actively shape it, setting new standards that redefine what excellence means in managed services. The MSP of the Year Award celebrates organizations that have mastered the art and science of modern managed services—delivering extraordinary client outcomes while building thriving, growth-focused businesses. Winners demonstrate not just what they've achieved, but how they've achieved it—setting new standards for excellence in our industry. They exhibit the rare ability to anticipate market shifts, capitalize on emerging opportunities, and build resilient organizations capable of thriving in a world of constant change. Most importantly, they deliver measurable, transformative outcomes for their clients.