Presented by QNX and Vector

The 2026 MotorTrend Software-Defined Vehicle Innovator Awards

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The MotorTrend Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) Innovator Awards recognize outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to automotive innovation through software.

2026 MotorTrend Software-Defined Vehicle Innovator Awards

2025 Winners

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The SDV Innovator Awards Program

The SDV Innovator Awards recognize outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to the automotive industry through software. 2026 winners will be awarded in three categories:

Pioneers

These outstanding individuals have demonstrably broken new ground within the automotive space through research, development, and application of new automotive software.

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Leaders

These outstanding individuals are in senior management positions, leading teams that are transforming the automotive industry through the broad adoption and application of software-defined technologies.

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Experts

These outstanding individuals are subject matter experts within a specific SDV discipline (e.g., advanced driver assistance systems, digital cockpit, over-the-air updates, autonomous driving, artificial intelligence, recruitment, and training, etc.).

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2025 Winners

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Coding the Car 2.0

The sequel to Coding the Car explores how the next chapter of vehicle innovation will be driven largely by Chinese automakers and AI software. Meet the pioneers driving the cutting-edge innovations that are transforming the way we drive today. This exclusive new documentary sheds light on the global companies systematically laying the foundations for the industry’s exciting next generation.

Watch Now

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Coding the Car | Volume 1

MotorTrend editors traversed the globe to interview the top minds in SDVs, and to document the rise of this disruptive new force reshaping the automotive world. Meet the people plotting the future of transportation as we know it, using software as the catalyst, in this 172-page book.

Get the eBook

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Coding the Car

Meet the pioneers and leaders who inspired this groundbreaking awards program from MotorTrend—the legendary media powerhouse behind the coveted Car, Truck, and SUV of the Year Awards—in “Coding the Car,” an exclusive 22-minute documentary from Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.’s MotorTrend Studios filmmakers.

Watch Now

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The Changing Auto Landscape: China's Rise

Ed Loh, Group Editorial Director at MotorTrend, delves into the evolution of the Software Defined Vehicle Innovator awards and peers into the crystal ball to offer insights into the future of SDVs and the broader industry, especially considering the increasing influence of Chinese OEMs.

Watch on YouTube

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Listen on Spotify

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EgonZehnder | autosoft

EgonZehnder explores uniting software and hardware given the seismic shift towards software-defined vehicles. This whitepaper delivers a threefold approach OEMs can use to take advantage of a unique opportunity - merging the best elements of two opposing worlds, and driving into the future with a new “autosoft” culture and leadership.

Download Now

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QNX: Powering the SDV

QNX® is the auto industry’s trusted supplier of safety-certified operating systems, hypervisors, development tools, support, and services—all purpose-built for the world’s most critical embedded systems and applications. We help our customers streamline their development efforts to more efficiently launch safe, secure, and reliable systems.

Our technology powers over ${vehicles-full} and is embedded in IoT systems around the world, across a broad range of industries that include aerospace and defense, automotive, commercial vehicles, heavy machinery, industrial controls, medical, rail, and robotics.