Australian Mortgage Awards 2026: four days to go until the big night

The 2026 Australian Mortgage Awards (AMAs) are five days away, with winners across more than 20 categories to be revealed live at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney's Grand Ballroom this Friday.

Presented by Mortgage Professional Australia and AustralianBroker, the awards will crown the country's top mortgage brokers, brokerages, lenders, aggregators and business development managers (BDMs).

A precious few handful of seats are still available, so snap them up ASAP before it’s too late.

Shortlists were confirmed on 10 August, when MPA published the full list of 2026 Australian Mortgage Awards excellence awardees.

The night lands as the broker channel's grip on home lending tightens, with nearly 82% of all new home loans now written through the broker channel. This momentous achievement will surely be celebrated throughout the night.

What to expect

The evening opens with networking drinks before the formal awards program and a three-course dinner. Australian singer and actress Kate Ceberano will perform, DJ Em will be on the decks, and TV presenter Andrew Daddo returns as master of ceremonies.

Westpac is back as official event partner, with Brighten and Liberty Financial on board as premium award partners.

Shortlists were assessed by a 35-member panel of lenders, aggregators, brokers, industry bodies and academics, listed in full on the official 2026 Australian Mortgage Awards judges page. This year's judges include:

• Anja Pannek, chief executive of the MFAA

• Sebastian Watkins, chief executive of Lendi Group

• Jason Azzopardi, chief executive of Brighten

• Sarah Willsallen, head of broker distribution at Westpac Group

• Peter White, former chief executive of the Finance Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA)

• Cory Bannister, chief lending officer at La Trobe Financial

• Adam Brown, executive broker distribution at NAB

• Barry Saoud, general manager mortgages and commercial lending, Pepper Money

The night builds to the two national honours – the Westpac Australian Broker of the Year and the Liberty Australian Brokerage of the Year. Neither is open to direct nomination. Finalists are drawn from the winners of the individual broker and brokerage categories, so the overall champions are decided by what happens earlier in the program.

Tables sold quickly after shortlists were released. Any late availability can be checked through the official 2026 AMAs registration page.

What sponsors say

For category sponsors, the AMAs are as much about the industry gathering in one room as the trophies.

Baber Zaka, general manager of third-party distribution at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), which sponsors Brokerage of the Year (more than 20 staff), said the event recognises the people behind the sector's growth.

"Awards nights like the AMAs are important because they recognise excellence, celebrate innovation, and highlight the outstanding contributions of brokers and industry professionals. They also bring the broking and mortgage finance community together to connect, share ideas, and inspire continued growth across the industry."

Zaka said the stories behind the winners tend to define the evening.

"The highlights of the AMAs are celebrating the achievements of outstanding brokers and industry professionals, and hearing the inspiring stories behind their success. It's also a great opportunity to connect with peers and celebrate the strength of the broking community."

Sean O'Malley, group executive at AMP Bank, which sponsors Brokerage of the Year – Regional, framed the night around the role brokers play for borrowers.

"Brokers provide vitally important support to Australians embarking on one of the most important financial decisions in their lives. Nights like the AMAs give the industry a chance to pause and celebrate that important contribution. They recognise excellence, showcase innovation and highlight the important role brokers play in our communities.

"Congratulations. Being nominated is recognition of the trust you've built with your customers and the impact you've made over the past year. The broker industry is built on hardworking, passionate professionals, and every finalist should be incredibly proud of what they've achieved. Best of luck on the night."

Who's in the running?

Here is a snapshot of four of this year's shortlists. Every category winner will be revealed on the night.

Finance Brokers Association of Australia (FBAA) Broker of the Year – Residential

• Aaron Christie-David, Atelier Wealth Mortgage Brokers

• Ajeesh Thomas, A1 Fincorp

• Ben Robinson, Flint

• Christopher Wilson, Sunshine Coast Financial Broker

• Dana Blewitt, The Lenders Club

• Jason Khoury, iCHOICE

• Peter Ha, Mortgage Pros

• Stephanie Thomas, Loan Market Ignite

• Tom Hawley, Azura Financial

• Tom Joseph, Loan House Lending Solutions

Bendigo Bank Broker Young Gun of the Year

• Abhishek Shahi, Rethink Financing

• Chansereyro Kiet, Australian Finance Hub

• Daniel Pertot, Pertot & Co. Mortgage Brokers

• Joshua Cortes, Momentum Wealth

• Kyle Bouskill, Kpartners

• Lauren Franzmann, Flint

• Liam Hardy, Loan Market Direct

• Maddie Walton, Money Lounge

• Max White, Loan Market Double Bay / Loan Market Erskineville

• William Zhu, Bridge Finance

MSA National Aggregator of the Year

• AFG

• Finsure

• Lendi Group

• LMG

• Mortgage Choice

• outsource Financial

ANZ Woman of Distinction

• Carly Lloyd, LMG

• Deslie Taylor, Mortgage Choice in Ormeau & Yarrabilba

• Jaime Savory, Gippsland Finance Solutions

• Joanna James, FBAA

• Karen Le Comte, Mortgage Choice Cleveland

• Kate Littlejohn, K Finance Co

• Katie Thomas, Focus Finance

• Rachael McKenzie, Loan Gallery Finance

• Renae Long, FAM Broker

• Stephanie Thomas, Loan Market Ignite

The ANZ Woman of Distinction award is notable this year given the gender balance of the profession: women make up 27.4% of the broker workforce, according to the MFAA's June 2026 Quarterly Survey.

Names to watch

Katie Thomas of Focus Finance, named 2025 Broker of the Year, is shortlisted for Broker of the Year – Regional and ANZ Woman of Distinction, while Focus Finance is also in the running for Brokerage of the Year – Regional.

Stephanie Thomas of Loan Market Ignite appears in both the residential broker and Woman of Distinction shortlists.

Maddie Walton of Money Lounge, whose business won the 2025 Bankwest New Brokerage of the Year, is shortlisted for both Young Gun of the Year and Broker of the Year – Regional. 

Dana Blewitt of The Lenders Club features in the residential and specialist lending categories.

At firm level, Flint stands out with four individual excellence awardees: Ben Robinson (residential), Curtis Stewart (commercial), Yousof Ahmadzai (specialist lending) and Lauren Franzmann (Young Gun).

Rethink Financing has two individual awardees, Nathan Nguyen (commercial) and Abhishek Shahi (Young Gun). Bridge Finance, Mortgage Innovations, Loan Market Edge, Loan Market Direct and Gippsland Finance Solutions each hold both an individual and a brokerage-level nomination.

For brokers already eyeing next year's program, previous winners' advice on crafting an AMAs submission offers a guide to what the judges reward. MPA and Australian Broker will cover the winners in full after Friday night's ceremony.

See you there!