MMI/Barron’s Industry Awards

DIGITAL INNOVATION

This category honors a new technological innovation or specific enhancement to an existing platform, service or tool that enhances the investor and/or advisor experience with advisory solutions.

Finalists:
Bank of America Merrill Lynch - AI Powered Meeting Journey

Concurrent Investment Advisors - Concurrent Apex AI

Vanilla - V/AI — Vanilla's Proprietary AI for Estate Planning

DISTRIBUTION INNOVATION

This category honors firms that provide exemplary and innovative sales support both in the field and from the home office.

Finalists:
AllianceBernstein - AllianceBernstein Sales Enablement Team

T. Rowe Price - T. Rowe Price Dial-a-Note Custom GPT Follow-Up

Touchstone Investments - Practice Analysis Review (PAR)

UBS Advisory Sales & Consulting - The Targeted G.R.O.W. Partnership Framework

DOING GOOD

This category honors firm-wide initiatives that actively contribute to the betterment of our communities and address specific needs within them.

Finalists:
Concurrent Investment Advisors - Concurrent Cares

Core Spaces - Camp Out for Kids

Financial Planning Association - FPA Pro Bono Initiatives

Hartford Funds - A Commitment to Learning Without Limits

INVESTMENT PRODUCT INNOVATION

This category honors groundbreaking and impactful investment strategies and product innovations that advance the investment advisory industry.

Finalists:
Calamos Investments - Calamos Autocallable Income ETFs: Democratizing the largest segment of the structured product market

Fundrise - VCX by Fundrise

Global Macro Asset Management - CompactDI

Grayscale Investments - Grayscale Avalanche Staking ETF (Ticker: GAVA), Grayscale Sui Staking ETF (Ticker: GSUI), Grayscale Hyperliquid Staking ETF (Ticker: HYPG)

MARKETING CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

This category honors the most innovative, creative, and impactful marketing campaigns that have elevated brand visibility and made an impact on the industry.

Finalists:
Bank of America Merrill Lynch - CIO Investor Café: A Strategic Response to Market Volatility

Goldman Sachs Asset Management - "Relentless" Active ETF Campaign

Nuveen - Invest Like the Future Is Watching

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP/EDUCATION

This category honors new programs, research, educational campaigns, or content that meaningfully advance industry knowledge and understanding of topics key to the future of advisory solutions.

Finalists:
Fidelity Charitable - Fidelity Charitable OBBBA

Financial Planning Association - Financial Planning Association's Competency Model

Raymond James Financial - Longevity Planning

RFG Advisory – RFG Advisory’s StrongHer Money

WEALTH MANAGER PLATFORM OF THE YEAR

This category honors a wealth management advisory platform that exemplifies innovation in delivering better outcomes for investors and financial advisors.

Finalists:
Cetera Financial Group - My Advice Architect Advisory Platform / Unified Program

Edward Jones - Edward Jones Investment Advisory Platform

Morgan Stanley - Morgan Stanley's Single Advisory Platform

ASSET MANAGER OF THE YEAR (AUM < $25 BILLION)

This category honors a smaller asset manager that exemplifies innovation in delivering better outcomes for investors and financial advisors.

Finalists:
BondBloxx - BondBloxx and IR+M tax-aware ETF suite

Grayscale Investments - Thought Leadership Initiatives

Tortoise Capital Advisors - Tortoise Capital Advisors

ASSET MANAGER OF THE YEAR (AUM BETWEEN $25 - $500 BILLION)

This category honors a mid-size asset manager that exemplifies innovation in delivering better outcomes for investors and financial advisors.

Finalists:

Calamos Investments - Calamos Autocallable Income ETFs

EQT - EQIC

ASSET MANAGER OF THE YEAR (AUM > $500 BILLION)

This category honors a larger asset manager that exemplifies innovation in delivering better outcomes for investors and financial advisors.

Finalists:
Fidelity Investments - Fidelity Expands Active ETF Lineup, Offering Superior Value, Choice, and Innovation

Goldman Sachs Asset Management - Goldman Sachs MSCI World Private Equity Return Tracker ETF (GTPE) and the “Relentless” Active ETF Campaign

T. Rowe Price - Premier Global Active Manager: Advancing Advisor Outcomes Through Innovation in Active ETFs, Model Portfolios, Alternatives, and Retirement Income Solutions

TECHNOLOGY/SOLUTIONS PROVIDER OF THE YEAR – EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

This category honors technology or service providers (for early-stage or niche technological innovations) that demonstrate strong potential to impact the investment advisory solutions industry.

Finalists:
Allocate - Allocate Platform

Fiduciary Exchange, LLC (FIDx) - Fiduciary Exchange, LLC (FIDx)

Reflexivity – Reflexivity

Vanilla - Estate Planning Platform

TECHNOLOGY/SOLUTIONS PROVIDER OF THE YEAR - TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION

This category honors technology or service providers that excel at integrating multiple tools, services, or data sources to create seamless and comprehensive advisory ecosystems.

Finalists:
Advyzon - Advyzon 3.0 and Advyzon AI

CAIS - CAIS Enterprise Integration Suite

FINTRX - AI Platform Integrations via MCP

Zocks - Zocks, the AI Assistant for Financial Advisors