Are you one of the best of the best ETFers around?

For the second year, the ETF.com team is opening up nominations for their awards for the industry. You have until December 31 to nominate someone (even yourself) via the form linked to on their website.

This year ETF.com will recognize winners in 28 categories, including four brand new categories and two more that will be exclusive to 2015. There are awards for specific ETFs, ETF issuers (i.e. fund shops), index providers, market makers and other liquidity providers, platforms, websites, research and more. Yet they limited the number of categories and the number of winners (one per category).

"We didn't want it to be like pre-school soccer where everybody gets a trophy," Matt Hougan, president of ETF.com, tells MFWire.

The one-time categories for 2015 are: "Best Definition of 'What is an ETF?' -- 50 Words or Less" and "Best Definition of Smart Beta -- 50 Words or Less".

"We thought we would sort of crowdsource that," Hougan says.

The other new categories for 2015 are: "Best ETF Offering: Wirehouse Category," "Best ETF Offering: Independent Broker-Dealer Category", "Best ETF Research Paper" and "New ETF Ticker of the Year."

Once nominations close on December 31, a nominating committee of ETF.com staff (chaired by Hougan) will narrow the nominees to five finalists for each award. Then the selection committee (which includes ETF.com CEO Jim Wiandt alongside five industry insiders from outside ETF.com) will vote on the winners. Those winners will be revealed at the ETF.com awards dinner on March 19, 2015 at Chelsea Piers in New York City.

The full nominating committee includes: Hougan, senior ETF specialist Paul Britt, senior ETF specialist Dennis Hudachek, director of research Elisabeth Kashner, managing editor Olly Ludwig, and chief investment officer Dave Nadig. The full selection committee includes: Wiandt, Phil Mackintosh of KCG, Kim Arthur of Main Management, Mike Vogelzang of Boston Advisors, Benjamin Blaisdell of US Trust, and Jason Nicastro of LPL. (Non-ETF.com committee members will recuse themselves from voting in any categories in which they're finalists.)

Here's a full list of the 2015 awards ETF.com will be giving out:

Lifetime Achievement Award;

ETF of the Year -- 2014;

Best New ETF -- 2014;

Most Innovative New ETF -- 2014;

Best New U.S. Equity ETF -- 2014;

Best New International/Global Equity ETF -- 2014;

Best New Fixed-Income ETF -- 2014;

Best New Commodity ETF -- 2014;

Best New Currency ETF -- 2014;

Best New Alternatives ETF -- 2014;

Best New Asset Allocation ETF -- 2014;

ETF Issuer of the Year -- 2014;

Most Innovative ETF Issuer of the Year -- 2014;

New ETF Issuer of the Year -- 2014;

Index Provider of the Year -- 2014;

Index of the Year -- 2014;

ETF Liquidity Provider of the Year -- 2014;

Best Online Broker for ETF-Focused Investors -- 2014;

Best ETF Offering: Wirehouse Category -- 2014;

Best ETF Offering: Independent Broker-Dealer Category -- 2014;

Best ETF Research Paper -- 2014;

Best ETF Issuer Website -- 2014;

Best Index Provider Website -- 2014;

Best ETF Issuer Capital Markets Desk -- 2014;

ETF Strategist of the Year -- 2014;

New ETF Ticker of the Year -- 2014;

Best Definition of "What is an ETF?" -- 50 Words or Less;

Best Definition of Smart Beta -- 50 Words or Less.

To find out more, read the ETF.com article explaining the awards. 

Edited by: Neil Anderson, Managing Editor


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