Awards FAQs: Credit Union Times Luminaries Awards 2026

What are the Credit Union Times Luminaries Awards?

The Credit Union Times Luminaries Awards honors outstanding individuals and firms in the financial services industry. Recognizing excellence beyond traditional metrics, such as asset growth or product enhancements, the Awards focus on exemplary leadership, groundbreaking innovation, and outstanding community impact by both firms and individuals.
Credit Union Times’ Luminaries Awards has broadened its scope this year with new nomination categories in order to highlight a wider range of exemplary talent and leadership within the industry.

Who is eligible for nomination?

Nominations are open to individual professionals, credit unions and world-class service organizations. We are accepting submissions across 35 nomination categories spanning the credit union industry.

When do nominations close for the 2026 Luminaries Awards?

Nominations are open until July 10, 2026.

What information/data will I need to apply?

The complete nomination form, including all questions and word limits, is available for download here. Please note that this is for preparation purposes only. All final entries must be submitted online, via the nomination portal.
Submissions for individual nominees must include a professional headshot image. Submissions for organization nominees must include a high-resolution image of the company’s logo. All images must be in color, a minimum 300 dpi files and in .jpg format. Supplemental materials, such as files, documents, images and links to public webpages, short videos or campaigns are acceptable.
Nominations must clearly convey quantitative and qualitative results regarding the nominee’s industry impact and accomplishments. We ask submitters to support their entries and statements with backup information – we love facts and figures. Don’t just tell us the nominee’s accomplishments, show us by sharing a brief story that illustrates their achievements.
Please do not submit any information that should be kept confidential.

Is there a fee to nominate?

No, there is no cost to submit a nomination. Submission to this award program, as well as all CUTimes.com's editorial content, is free.

How many nominations can I submit?

There is no limit to the number of nominations that you can submit. We encourage you to limit your entries to the individuals and organizations that have made recent indelible impacts on both their respective firms and the financial services industry.
Submitters may also nominate a candidate for more than one category, however, you must submit a separate nomination for each particular category.

Can I nominate myself?

Yes. We accept self-nominations, as well as third-party submissions.

I was previously selected as a Luminaries finalist and/or winner. Can I be nominated again this year?

Yes. Each year, the Luminaries finalists and winners are chosen based on their merits. You may nominate a previously chosen Luminaries finalist and/or winner. However, we ask that you update your submission to highlight relevant accomplishments and recent endeavors.
View Credit Union Times' 2025 Luminaries finalists and winners, here.

Oops! I need to change something on my submission.

No problem! Click here to view or modify your entry.

How and when will the 2026 Luminaries finalists and winners be notified of their selection?

Credit Union Times will send email notifications to the Luminaries finalists and their submitters by early September. The 2026 Luminaries winners will be announced on stage at the Credit Union Times Luminaries Awards dinner.

How will the 2026 Luminaries be recognized?

The 2026 finalists will be listed here on the Luminaries Awards website and on CUTimes.com beginning in September. The 2026 Luminaries winners will be announced and honored with awards live on stage at the 5th annual Credit Union Times Luminaries Awards dinner. The winners will also be featured in year-round coverage on Cutimes.com starting in November, and will receive additional recognition via CUTime’s social media channels and email newsletters.

How does the judging process work?

Upon the submission deadline, CU Times’ editorial staff and its Luminaries advisory board carefully review each nomination without bias to select the finalists. Then, a panel of independent judges made up of leaders in the financial services industry select the winners. The judges work diligently to consider each nominee's different accomplishments and contributions and base their decisions on an array of factors in correlation with the awards’ criteria.