Innovation Awards

Explore this year’s most transformative and forward-thinking projects and products at the Finalist Showcase, then celebrate the winners at the Innovation Awards Ceremony at South By Southwest®.

Adrian Grenier at the SXSW Innovation Awards – SXSW 2024 – Photo by Anthony Moreno

About Innovation Awards

The SXSW Innovation Awards recognize the most exciting creative developments in the connected world, celebrating a variety of technological advancements, achievements, and discoveries.

Five finalists in each category will be chosen to exhibit their projects at the seventh annual Innovation Awards Finalist Showcase during SXSW 2025, where the Finalist Judges will determine the winners as well as Best of Show. SXSW audiences attending the Finalist Showcase will also vote to determine the winner of the People’s Choice award. Participation in the Finalist Showcase is required for consideration in all award categories.

Winners will be announced and presented their awards at the 26th annual SXSW Innovation Awards Ceremony on the evening of Monday, March 10 at the Austin Convention Center.

Applications for SXSW 2025 are now closed. The finalists will be announced later in the season.

See You at SXSW 2025

Join us for SXSW 2025 from March 7–15 in Austin, TX. Registration and housing are now open! Explore participation opportunities and stay tuned for announcements throughout the season. Subscribe to Event Updates and community newsletters.

Eligibility

A project or product entered into the Awards must have launched or been completely redesigned in calendar year 2024 (between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024).

For Awards eligibility, “launched” may mean any of the following things:

When a discovery is made, when a scientific paper is published, or when a patent is approved;
When a physical device is made tangible, (i.e., a prototype);
When the applicable regulatory body (FDA, FCC, etc.) approves a product or procedure for use;
When the product is made commercially available; or
When a project is publicly released.

2025 Categories

Artificial Intelligence

The Artificial Intelligence category showcases projects that responsibly leverage the groundbreaking power of machine learning, LLMs and generative AI.

Audio Experience

From cutting-edge podcasts to apps that help you create your own music, the Audio Experience category serves as the landing spot for projects that reimagine the way humans interact with audio-based platforms.

Community Empowerment

The Community Empowerment category spotlights projects that help empower underserved groups and peoples around the world.

Connection and Communication

The Connection and Communication category features projects aimed at helping people discover meaningful ways of enriching human experiences and interactions.

Health & Biotech

The Health & Biotech category uncovers the best new projects serving wellness and medicine.

Interface Design

The Interface Design category recognizes the best new ideas for human interaction with software and machines.

Product Design

The Product Design category highlights the world's best new hardware, including products, devices, gadgets and appliances.

Student Innovation

The Student Innovation category honors exceptional student projects and startups that focus on interactive technology for the future.

Sustainability Solutions

The Sustainability Solutions category focuses on projects big and small that positively address the crisis of global warming.

Urban Experience

The Urban Experience category gathers ahead-of-the-curve solutions around livability and mobility (and beyond) to create an improved and more equitable city environment.

WTF

The WTF (What the Future) category collects futuristic projects that don’t fit elsewhere. From quantum physics to nanotech to bio-engineering moonshots, this category pulls together all the amazing endeavors that make us excited about tomorrow.