Why participating in the CRN Asia Channel Awards is more than just winning

Entries deadline for the Channel Awards Asia 2026 is on the 22^nd of May 2026.

The CRN Asia Channel Awards recognizes the success of partners and vendors in Asian region. This year’s awards feature over 30 categories, enabling vendors and partners from various verticals to have the opportunity to celebrate their achievements in the past year.

Winners for the awards are selected for a panel of judges that go have a strict judging process. Each entry is thoroughly judged to ensure the best of the best is selected as the winner. This is why for many participants of the awards, being a finalist is already a strategic opportunity worth pursuing as it enables them to grow their presence and credibility in the region.

For the finalists and winners of last year’s awards, the awards ceremony gives them the opportunity to showcase achievements, motivate their teams and position their company as a leader in the region.

CRN Asia reached out to some of the winners from last year’s awards to get their views.

As winners for the Network Vendor of the Year category in last year’s awards ceremony, Alcatel Lucent Enterprise (ALE) shared that the win has had a very positive impact.

“It is a strong validation of our channel-first strategy and the investments we have made to support and grow our partner ecosystem across Asia Pacific. Beyond the recognition itself, the award has reinforced confidence among our partners, customers, and internal teams. It has also created a sense of shared achievement across our ecosystem — this win truly belongs to our partners as much as it does to ALE,” Jocelyn Tan, Head of Marketing for APAC at ALE said.

Tan also mentioned that the recognition has significantly strengthened ALE’s brand positioning in the region as a trusted and partner-centric network vendor.

“Being acknowledged by CRN Asia and its jury enhances our credibility, particularly among the channel community, and reinforces our commitment to delivering innovation, flexibility, and tangible business outcomes. It also increases our visibility in key APAC markets, opening up new conversations with partners and customers who are looking for a reliable, collaborative technology provider. Most importantly, it positions ALE as a vendor that not only delivers strong technology, but also prioritizes long-term partnerships and shared success,” she said.

Meanwhile, Cisco, who won two awards at last year’s awards, shared that the wins have been a boost for the team.

“Beyond the recognition, it’s a validation of the hard work we’ve put into evolving our partner program and our security and secure networking focus. It tells our ecosystem that we’re leading the way in how we support their growth,” Kartika Prihadi, Vice President, Partner and Routes to Market Sales, APJC, Cisco said.

Prihadi also shared, "CRN is a respected voice in the channel, so this recognition carries a lot of weight. It cements our reputation as a partner-first organization in Asia. It helps us attract new talent and new partners who want to be part of a winning ecosystem that is focused on delivering real customer outcomes.”

The individual categories for the 2025 awards also saw a huge number of finalists from both the partner and vendor communities. Winning the Channel Manager of the Year was Nutanix’s Michael Magura.

Speaking to CRN Asia recently, Magura shared how the recognition strives him and his team to only be better and what they do and aim to achieve more this year. Elastic’s Andrew Habgood who picked up a Highly Commended award in the same category, also said that the awards ceremony was a good night of networking with many peers from the channel ecosystem.

Deadline for the Channel Awards Asia 2026 is on the 22^nd of May 2026.