Celebrating the Founders, Creators & Changemakers Shaping the Caribbean's Future

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Island Icon Honors 2026: A Night to Celebrate Caribbean Excellence, Innovation & Legacy

Date: Tuesday 10th November 2026

Time: 6:30 PM - 10:30 PM ET

Location: New York City

Celebrating Caribbean Trailblazers in business, culture and the arts for 2026.

Island Icons Honors NYC returns for an unforgettable evening celebrating the trailblazing Caribbean-American entrepreneurs, creatives, and leaders shaping culture, business, and impact across the United States and the diaspora.

Hosted during National Entrepreneurship Month, this powerful night honors the visionaries who turned bold ideas into thriving enterprises, cultural movements, and community legacies. From founders and artists to innovators and executives, Island Icons Honors is where the stories of Caribbean brilliance come alive.

  • Red Carpet & Welcome Cocktails

  • Honoree Awards Ceremony recognizing excellence across business, tech, wellness, fashion, culture, and community leadership

  • Networking + Celebration Mixer bringing together creative entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and community changemakers

Dress Code: Caribbean Elegance / Glam

Whether you’re a proud Caribbean creative, entrepreneur, or ally, this night is for you. Together we’ll honor those who inspire us , and remind the world that Caribbean excellence is global excellence.

Grab LIMITED Early Bird Tickets

About Island Icons Honors

Every year, Carib Biz Network honors the entrepreneurs, innovators, and cultural leaders who are putting the Caribbean on the global map, in business, tech, fashion, wellness, food, and beyond. Island Icons Honors is our way of saying: we see you, we celebrate you, and the world needs to know your name.

From first-generation founders to established industry leaders, this is a night dedicated to honoring the people driving Caribbean excellence forward, on the islands and across the diaspora.

Each year, winners and honorees are selected by a panel of judges from the Caribbean business, media, and creative community, based on impact, innovation, and leadership within their industry.

Who Can Be Nominated

Caribbean and diaspora entrepreneurs, founders, and creatives who are:

  • Are Caribbean-born, or first/second-generation Caribbean diaspora

  • Lead a business or brand rooted in Caribbean culture, identity, or community impact

  • Have demonstrated measurable impact in their industry or community within the past [12 months]

  • Show innovation, resilience, and vision in their work

  • Operate with professionalism, integrity, and collaboration

  • Have no public record of illegal or offensive conduct

  • Actively contribute to advancing Caribbean culture or community

2026 Categories

Digital Story-telling Excellence Award

Podcasting Excellence

The People’s Choice: Comic Creator of the Year (U.S.)

The People’s Choice: Event Brand of the Year (U.S.)

Female Trailblazer Of the Year (U.S.) 

Male Entrepreneur Trailblazer of the Year (U.S.) 

Emerging Health + Wellness Brand of the Year (U.S.)

Beauty Industry Trailblazer

Fashion Industry Ambassador of the Year

How It Works

  1. Nominate — Submit a nomination for yourself or someone else by [August 15th].

  2. Review — Our judging panel reviews all submissions based on CBN criteria.

  3. Official Nominees Announced —Nominees will be announced on September 1st 2026.

  4. Voting Period - Voting for some categories will be open publicly September 1st and close September 30th.

  5. Celebrate — Winners & Honorees will be celebrated at our official ceremony on November 10th in NYC.

Culinary Innovation Excellence

Music & Culture Vanguard

Diaspora Digital Art Titan of the Year 

Arts Excellence Icon

Activist + Social Enterprise of the Year

Digital Cultural Preservationist of the Year

Digital Innovation & Leadership in Tech

Emerging e-commerce Brand of the Year (For Innovation & Story-telling)

Humanitarian & Impact Award

NOMINATIONS ARE CLOSED.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have more questions? Reach out at info@caribbiznetwork.com

  • Yes, self-nominations are welcome. You don't need someone else to submit on your behalf.

  • Any Caribbean or diaspora entrepreneur, founder, or creative who is actively running a business based in the Caribbean or serving the Caribbean diaspora and have recently (2025-2026) demonstrated immense impact in their space/field of work.

  • You can submit as many nominations as you'd like.

  • Judges evaluate every nomination on five things:

    1. Impact (measurable results in their business or community), Innovation (originality and creativity in their approach),

    2. Cultural Contribution (how their work reflects or advances Caribbean identity),

    3. Leadership (influence and reputation within their industry), and

    4. Growth Trajectory (momentum and potential for continued impact). No single factor outweighs the others — judges are looking for well-rounded icons, not just biggest or richest.

  • Our judging panel reviews all nominations against our criteria. Nominees may be contacted for additional information. Finalists will be announced on September 1st.

  • No nominees will not be notified UNLESS they are selected as Finalists, which then, we will notify them of the good news.

  • The event is ticketed for all attendees. Tickets go on sale August 1st, 2026.