For the ninth year this September, WealthManagement.com will honor the best companies, people and organizations that support financial advisor success at its annual Industry Awards, aka "The Wealthies."
This year's winners across 92 categories, chosen by an independent panel of judges from more than 400 finalists, will be announced on Sept. 7 at a black tie gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City.
View the full list of finalists
The finalists, announced today, were culled down from more than 1,000 entries from 413 companies. This year, 161 companies submitted a nomination for the first time, and 70 of them were named finalists. In addition, 81 firms were recognized in multiple categories.
They include: Orion (8); Cambridge Investment Research (6); Cetera Financial Group (6); Apex Fintech Solutions (5); Carson Group (5); Kestra (5); LPL (5); Mercer (5); Morgan Stanley (5); Osaic (5); Allworth Financial (4); AXS Investments (4); Fidelity Investments (4); Janney Montgomery Scott (4); Nitrogen (4); Raymond James (4); Sigma (4); Snappy Kraken (4); Wealth Access (4); and Wilmington Trust (4).
New categories were also added this year around direct indexing, securities-based lending, marketing automation, retirement income, and platforms for advisor support and investing.
“The Industry Awards serve as a beacon, illuminating the trailblazers and innovators who are shaping the future of the financial services industry,” said David Armstrong, director of editorial strategy and operations, in a statement. “With record-setting participation this year, the awards program stands as a powerful testament to the value firms place in the Wealthies as a trusted third-party validation of their market leadership. Unlike other awards that simply rank assets under management from individual advisors and firms, the Wealthies are a leading indicator of forthcoming activity, and serve as a barometer of the dynamic ecosystem of companies and organizations that empower, support and enable advisor success who are driving the industry forward.”
In addition to the dinner and awards ceremony, C-level executives from finalist firms will gather for afternoon technology discussions and networking events—including a CTO buyers’ panels, executive roundtables on the future of advisor tech and think tanks on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
The Wealthies events build on the foundation laid at the annual Wealth Management EDGE conference, held last week at The Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Fla., according to Mark Bruno, managing director, wealth management, at Informa Connect.
"These two initiatives, though distinct, share a common goal: empowering advisors and driving innovation and growth in the ever-evolving financial services community," Bruno said in a statement. "Together, they equip wealth advisors and planners with the necessary tools, knowledge and innovation to build world-class wealth management firms and gain access to top-tier product and service providers in the industry.”