The New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants has opened nominations for its 2026 Ovation Awards, setting a July 27 deadline for recognizing accountants, educators and community contributors across six categories.
The nomination period is now the focus for anyone looking to put a name forward for Emerging Leader, Exceptional Educator, Impact, Innovation, Lifetime Leader or Woman to Watch. People can nominate themselves or a colleague, and submissions go through njcpa.org/ovation. The winners will be announced on Nov. 17 during the NJCPA IssuesWatch Live broadcast.
Aiysha (AJ) Johnson said the society is grateful to the many people who give back every day for the profession, the NJCPA or the next generation of accounting professionals, and that the awards are a way to honor them officially. She said their dedication and enthusiasm for the accounting profession should be recognized.
The awards are not open on identical terms. Only NJCPA members can qualify for Emerging Leader, Woman to Watch and Lifetime Leader, while nonmembers remain eligible for the other categories. That distinction matters because the program is meant to reward broad service to the profession, yet it keeps three of its most visible honors inside the membership ranks. Previous winners are still eligible to win again in other categories.
The Lifetime Leader award will go to one member for outstanding service over a lifetime to the NJCPA, the community, future professionals and the recipient’s workplace. Winners will also be profiled in a special section in the fall issue of New Jersey CPA, giving the honor a second stage after the broadcast. For anyone hoping to be recognized in 2026, the deadline is fixed and the calendar is moving: nominations close July 27, and the names that make the cut will not be public until the November broadcast.
For readers watching how professional groups spotlight talent and service, the Ovation program shows where the NJCPA wants to draw the line this year: open enough for community recognition, selective enough to reserve three categories for members, and visible enough to turn each winner into part of the association’s fall showcase.
