CMP's flagship awards return November 25 with new categories, a refreshed judge panel, and a five-stage nomination process
The Canadian Mortgage Awards (CMA) will return to Rebel Toronto on November 25, for what marks the programme's 20th year.
The 2026 edition arrives with a broadened category roster, a new judging cohort drawn from across the mortgage, real estate, and technology sectors, and a structured five-stage process designed to ensure no deserving nominee is overlooked.
Nominations are open from June 8 to August 14 at 11:59 p.m. ET, and are open to all mortgage professionals and organisations across Canada — including brokers, brokerages, lenders, business development managers, underwriters, agents, and service providers. There is no fee to submit.
New categories for 2026
Two categories that signal how the industry is changing at its edges are The REMIC Award for Finfluencer of the Year and Mortgage Tech Innovator of the Year.
The Finfluencer of the Year award recognises financial content creators who have made a measurable positive impact on Canadian mortgage literacy, judged against criteria including content accuracy, audience reach, creative storytelling, compliance awareness, and community engagement — particularly for underserved groups, newcomers, and younger Canadians navigating the homebuying process for the first time.
The Mortgage Tech Innovator of the Year award, meanwhile, is designed for individuals who have driven the adoption or development of a new technology or digital solution that has delivered measurable benefit to brokers, lenders, or other mortgage professionals.
The REMIC Award for Finfluencer of the Year is sponsored by the Real Estate and Mortgage Institute of Canada (REMIC). Joseph White, the founder and president of REMIC, sits on the 2026 judging panel, one of 11 judges confirmed for this year's programme.
A judging panel built for independence
The panel has been assembled to be diverse and unbiased, with judges assigned categories that reflect their expertise and required to recuse themselves from any category in which a conflict of interest exists.
All judges are required to sign a non-disclosure agreement preventing the unauthorised disclosure of confidential information, including anything contained in submission forms.
The confirmed 2026 panel includes:
- Scott Andison, chief executive officer, Ontario Home Builders' Association
- Samantha Gale, chief executive officer, Veracite Trust Company Ltd. and the Canadian Private Lenders Association (CPLA)
- Joseph White, president, Real Estate and Mortgage Institute of Canada (REMIC)
- Gary Schwartz, president, CanadianLenders.org
- Trevor Koot, chief executive officer, BC Real Estate Association
- Dr. Ann McAfee, president, City Choices Consulting
- Chad Mooney, senior vice-president of business development, MCF Mortgage Investments
- Lisa Patel, founder, Property Princess Group and former president of the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board
- Andrew Perrie, chief executive officer, The Fine Estates Team
- Tom Lebour, past president, Mississauga and Toronto Regional Real Estate Board
- Mary-Anne Gillespie, owner and chief executive officer, Red Apple Coaching and Consulting
A five-stage process, with excellence awardees confirmed in September
The process runs across five stages: nominations, research, excellence awardees, judging, and winners.
After nominations close in August, the CMA team will conduct its own research, drawing on knowledge gained through Canadian Mortgage Professional magazine, to ensure no deserving candidate is missed.
Excellence awardees will be notified and officially announced in September 2026 across the event website and in CMP's print and online channels.
Judging commences in October and November, with winners determined by a points-based system that aggregates the panel's votes.
Winners will be revealed live at the awards gala on November 25, with Excellence Awardees also announced through CMP in September.
The awards cover 26 categories in total across broker, brokerage, lender, and industry segments.
Broker categories include regional designations for Eastern Canada, Western Canada, and the Maritimes and Atlantic Canada, as well as specialist awards for commercial, private lending, and reverse mortgages.
The highest individual honour — Canadian Broker of the Year — is restricted to winners from those specialist and regional categories, creating a genuine tournament structure that rewards depth of performance across the full broker channel.
What a win means for practitioners
Akshay Gupta, a commercial real estate mortgage agent at Foundry Mortgage Capital Corp. in Toronto and the 2025 Young Achiever of the Year winner, described the credibility the award delivers beyond the night itself.
"I reference it in my professional profile and in client conversations," Gupta said, "because people deserve to know the calibre of the professional structuring their deal."
That reputational value is built in part on the rigour of the judging process. Sponsors backing the 2026 programme include CMI Canadian Mortgages Inc., Equitable Bank, Haventree Bank, MCAN Mortgage Corporation, RFA Mortgage Corporation, and Real Property Solutions Inc. (RPS).
BMO is confirmed as the photobooth sponsor, while Dean Davidson has joined as the official jewellery partner.
Mortgage professionals who wish to nominate themselves or a peer can do so at canadianmortgageawards.com/nominate. Nominations close August 14.
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