The 2026 Partner Awards have opened with nominations running through 15 July. For agencies building a Microsoft Advertising practice, the categories signal where the platform is investing.
Nine categories are open this year, and most of them point in the same direction: AI capability, gaming inventory, and cross channel performance.
What is on the slate
The full list of categories worth submitting for:
- Creative AI Innovation Award, for partners using Microsoft powered AI in creative production - Performance AI Innovation Award, recognising Copilot and platform AI applied to strategy - Search Performance Partner of the Year, focused on intent capture and conversion - Omnichannel Performance Partner of the Year, for integrated Search, Audience, Video, and Gaming work - Gaming Excellence Award, covering Xbox, King, and Microsoft Casual Games - Data Integration Excellence Award, for partners delivering scalable solutions using campaign signals - Emerging Markets Growth Award - Rising Partner of the Year, for Select tier partners with sustained growth - Trailblazer of the Year, for individuals championing Microsoft Advertising and Copilot adoption
Recognition period is July 2025 to July 2026. Finalists are announced in September. Winners are revealed in regional events later in the year.
Why the categories matter
Two of the nine categories are explicitly about AI. Gaming and data integration both get dedicated awards. That mix tells you where Microsoft is pushing the ecosystem.
For agencies thinking about their 2027 positioning, the categories also work as a roadmap. If your team has not built a Copilot case study, a gaming activation, or a structured data integration this year, submitting in 2026 forces prioritisation against the things Microsoft is publicly rewarding.
How to use this
For agencies and freelancers running Microsoft Advertising as a specialist channel, the awards process turns operational work into structured case studies. The submission template alone is a useful exercise.
If you are starting a Microsoft Advertising practice and need activation support for new accounts, the recognition framework also tells you what kinds of outcomes get noticed inside Microsoft's partner programme.
The submission deadline is 15 July. Late submissions do not get reviewed.
This insight is based on content originally published on the Microsoft Advertising Blog, rewritten with added context and perspective by Scepter Digital.
