The 2026 Canadian Mortgage Awards arrive November 25 with 23 categories and a milestone to mark
On November 25, hundreds of Canada's mortgage brokers, lenders, and industry leaders will gather at Rebel Toronto for an evening that now spans two decades.
The 2026 Canadian Mortgage Awards (CMAs), presented by Canadian Mortgage Professional, will recognise outstanding work across 23 competitive categories, from broker specialists in private lending and reverse mortgages to the teams and technology companies reshaping the industry.
For the professionals shortlisted this year, the wait is almost over.
The night ahead
The evening begins at 6:00 p.m. with a cocktail reception on the first floor of Rebel Toronto, the waterfront event space at 11 Polson Street.
For an industry that spent much of 2025 navigating a historically concentrated wave of mortgage renewals, the reception offers something rarer: two hours to simply connect.
Guests are encouraged to arrive promptly, with the awards ceremony and dinner banquet commencing at 7:30 p.m.
The post-awards celebration runs from 10:30 p.m. onwards, giving the night room to breathe well past the final announcement.
The 2026 host is Sonia Mangat, a broadcaster and storyteller with a decade of experience across news, entertainment, and live event hosting in Canada.
Mangat currently appears on eTalk and CP24 Breakfast and has hosted high-profile stages including the Canadian Screen Awards.
As a skilled interviewer who has sat down with A-list celebrities, she brings the kind of relaxed authority a room of mortgage professionals tends to respond to – someone who commands attention without demanding deference.
Entertainment for the evening includes Soulfire, a five-piece live band specialising in classic rock, soul, Motown, disco, and Top 40 hits.
The dress code is formal: tuxedo, business suit, long gown, cocktail dress, or traditional attire. For those seeking a rental, the event has partnered with The Fitzroy Dress Rental, offering a 10 per cent discount with the code CMA26.
Secure a table at the 2026 Canadian Mortgage Awards and celebrate your team’s achievements alongside industry leaders, innovators, and top-performing professionals from across the country. #MortgageAwardsCA Book your table today: https://t.co/SSKx4yuft5 https://t.co/f31Lgyrrzt
— Canadian Mortgage Professional Magazine (@CMPmagazine) October 28, 2026
Voices from past ceremonies
For Akshay Gupta, a commercial real estate mortgage agent at Foundry Mortgage Capital Corp. in Toronto and the 2025 Young Achiever of the Year, the CMA win carried practical weight beyond the gala night itself.
"Developers and investors need confidence in their advisor from day one," Gupta said.
"The CMA win signals that the work has been independently validated at a national level, which opens doors and shortens the trust-building process in a way that's otherwise difficult to manufacture."
Dalia Barsoum of Streetwise Mortgages, who took out both the Ontario and national Broker of the Year awards at the 2024 edition, pointed to what the recognition meant in a market that had just come through a difficult year.
"Especially as 2023 was a very challenging year in the industry, this award has a very special meaning right now," Barsoum said.
"Creative solutions for clients, really pushing through tough files, helping my team ride the wave and sticking together as a team were some things that I believe we did really well this year."
The spirit of community that runs through the awards was articulated at the 2024 gala by Carey Benvenuti of Lending Niagara – Mortgage Architects, who won the philanthropy category.
"The gift of giving is the gift that you give yourself," Benvenuti said.
Joe White, chief executive officer at the Real Estate and Mortgage Institute of Canada (REMIC) in Toronto, which sponsors the Broker of the Year award, captured the purpose of the evening plainly: "This award is the cream of the crop. It's something the industry needs to embrace and joyfully talk about – those helping Canadians with homeownership and financial freedom."
A milestone moment for the industry
The 2026 CMAs mark the programme's 20th anniversary – a milestone that coincides with one of the most structurally consequential periods in the Canadian mortgage market's recent history.
Shawn Allen, founder of Matrix Mortgage Global and a past CMA sponsor, has spoken about the role these gatherings play after periods of industry stress.
"The industry went through a hard time with COVID, and now we need to show solidarity," Allen said.
"These awards are about giving back and celebrating achievements." That instinct – to mark what the industry has built and who has built it well – is what twenty years of Canadian Mortgage Awards have institutionalised.
The 2026 programme spans 26 categories in total, including the Haventree Bank Award for Lifetime Achievement, which carries no nominated finalists and is announced only on the night.
Sponsors backing the programme include CMI Canadian Mortgages Inc., Equitable Bank, Haventree Bank, MCAN Mortgage Corporation, RFA Mortgage Corporation, and Real Property Solutions Inc. (RPS).
Winners will be revealed live at Rebel Toronto on November 25 and published the same night across CMP's channels.
Registration for the November 25 gala is open at canadianmortgageawards.com.
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