Celebrating Excellence in Affiliate and Performance Marketing Ahead of Lisbon Ceremony
SBC has released the official shortlist for the second edition of the Affiliate Leaders Awards 2026, scheduled to take place at Lisbon’s MEO Arena on Wednesday, September 30. The ceremony will bring together over 400 affiliate and performance marketing professionals to celebrate excellence across 20 distinct categories, recognizing achievements in affiliates, operator programs, technology, marketing, content, acquisition, and industry leadership.
Leading this year’s nominations is Hub Affiliations with eight selections, followed by AFFPRO and KR3W with five nominations each. Betandeal, Matching Visions, SlotCatalog, and Vault Network have each secured four nominations. Industry members can now cast their votes via the Affiliate Leaders Awards website, with final winners determined by combining public votes and confidential scores from an independent judging panel.
Category Shortlist and Contenders
Across the headline affiliate and operator segments, top-tier brands and programs are competing for top honors:
- Casino Affiliate of the Year: Contenders include Betandeal, Hub Affiliations, and KR3W.
- Sports Affiliate of the Year: Reigning champion Flashscore returns to defend its title against Better Collective, Clever Advertising, and Spotlight Sports Group.
- Affiliate Programme of the Year – Large: Features 2025 winner bet365 Partners, Betsson Group Affiliates, Boomerang Partners, and NOVIBET.
- Affiliate Programme of the Year – Medium/Small: Vegas Legends seeks to secure its second successive title.
- Best Affiliate Network: Contenders feature AFFPRO, Hub Affiliations, KR3W, and Vault Network.
In the supplier and technology categories, RavenTrack aims for a second consecutive Affiliate Management Platform of the Year win, while 1spin4win defends its Casino Title of the Year against BGaming, Evolution, Evoplay, and Pragmatic Play. Competitors for Affiliate Technology of the Year include AFFPRO, PartnerMatrix, SlotCatalog, and Vault Network.
Additionally, the Rising Star of the Year category features emerging businesses BIG4PLAY, BIZZU, Cape Media, GottaGamble, KR3W, Trident Media Buying Agency, and Vault Network. The winner of the Affiliate Leader of the Year award will remain confidential until being revealed live at the ceremony.
Executive Perspective
Reflecting on the milestone, Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC, stated:
“Launching Affiliate Leaders Summit as a standalone event reflects our long-term commitment to the affiliate and performance marketing community. Now in its second year, the Affiliate Leaders Awards gives us the opportunity to celebrate what makes this sector so important, recognising the leadership, innovation and achievements of the individuals and companies driving it forward.”
