TOA Awards 2026 Honors 100 Influential Turkish Americans
News related to:TOA Awards · 2 min read
TOA Awards 2026 will honor the 100 most influential Turkish Americans at a gala on November 17 in Garfield, New Jersey. The event, which will celebrate achievement across 24 categories, aims to recognize the breadth of contributions made by Turkish Americans in various fields.
The awards ceremony will take place at The Venetian in Garfield, New Jersey, and will bring together leaders from business, science, technology, arts, media, academia, and public service, alongside professionals from finance, law, healthcare, real estate, tourism, and nonprofit organizations. The evening will honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the Turkish-American community and wider society.
The 2026 honorees reflect the diversity of Turkish-American achievements. Nobel Prize-winning scientist Aziz Sancar will be recognized in the Lifetime Achievement category. In the Science, Research & Academia category, other notable honorees include Nobel Prize-winning economist Daron Acemoğlu and Gökhan Hotamışlıgil. The CEO & Founders category will honor global entrepreneurs such as Fatih Özmen and Hamdi Ulukaya.
In the Policy, Government & Public Administration category, Dr. Mehmet Öz, Tayfun Selen, and Seval Öz will be recognized. Egemen Taş, Aylin Uysal, and Hande Çilingir will be honored in the Technology & Futures category. The Arts & Culture category will celebrate talents like Refik Anadol and Gizem Salçığıl White, while Fahir Atakoğlu and Pınar Toprak will be recognized in the Performing Arts category.
The honorees also include prominent media personalities such as Arda Öcal, Cenk Uygur, and Hasan Piker. NBA star Alperen Şengün will be recognized in the Sports & Athletic category. Arda Öcal, Hasan Piker, and Cenk Uygur will be honored in the Media category, while Dr. Selda Günsel and Tolga Kurtoğlu will be recognized in the CTO & CIO category.
In the Legal Advisory & Corporate Law category, Barbaros Karaahmet and Fejir Uğurlu will be honored, while Halil Demir and Mehmet Kırdar will be recognized in the Nonprofit & Philanthropy Leadership category. Hospitality & Tourism honorees include Suzan Toprak, A.Cem Erenler, and Cihan Yılmaz. The honorees also include distinguished leaders in real estate investment and development, such as Yusuf Ceylan, Erol Devli, and Fehmi Karahan.
The Under 30 category will recognize the next generation of Turkish-American talent, honoring Anya Özmen, Emre Uğurlu, and Lara Özkan. Derya Taşkın, Neslihan Hıdırliğil, and Kerime Ataker will be recognized in the Women in Business category.
Separate from the jury-selected Top 100, TOA Founders’ Recognition Awards will acknowledge exceptional achievements and contributions in specific fields. Recipients include Hakan Karalok for International Academic Excellence, Hakan İnan for Industrial Leadership, Levent Sertbas for Community Services, Mustafa Tuncer for Transatlantic Entrepreneurship, Orhan Genceli for Hospitality Excellence, Serdar Ali Çelikler for Sports Media & Commentary, Mehmet Dinç for Excellence in AI & Legal Innovation, and Ziya Keskin for Global Standards & Certification Leadership. Yavuz Macit will be recognized for Global Sports Infrastructure & Business Leadership.
Cemil Özyurt, the founder of TOA Awards, emphasized the importance of documenting the achievements of Turkish Americans in various fields.
The TOA Awards 2026 ceremony will offer an opportunity to celebrate individual accomplishments while strengthening connections across the Turkish-American community.