SUBMISSIONS & ELIGIBILITY
Q: Who is eligible to submit a nomination?
The Torchie Awards are open to existing paying customers of Braze and agency or technology partners. For customer award categories, nominations must be submitted directly by an employee of the eligible customer company. Partners may submit nominations for partner award categories.
Q: What time period does my submission need to cover?
Work launched between January 2025 and October 2026 is eligible for submission.
Q: Can a partner submit a nomination on behalf of a customer?
For customer award categories, no. The nomination must come from an employee of the customer company directly. For partner award categories, yes. Partners submit for themselves and the shared customer (with approval from the customer).
Q: Can a customer win an award in 2026 if they previously won in past years?
Yes, past winners are fully eligible to win again.
Q: Can I submit for multiple award categories?
Yes. You may submit separate nominations for multiple categories. Each submission should be tailored to the specific award criteria for that category.
Q: By accepting the Terms & Conditions during submission, am I also agreeing on behalf of the customer or partner company featured in the nomination?
The T&C acceptance represents agreement from the submitting party. If you are a partner submitting a nomination that features a customer, it is best practice to obtain written approval from the customer before submitting. You can attach or reference that approval in your submission materials.
Q: What file formats are accepted for logos?
Vector formats (SVG, EPS, AI) are preferred for partner and customer logos. PNG files are also accepted. Please send logos to the Torchie Awards inbox alongside or after your form submission.
Q: What should supporting imagery look like?
Supporting images should visually showcase the campaign or work being nominated — for example, campaign creative samples, before/after screenshots, results dashboards, or team photos. For Collaborative Team of the Year, a team photo alongside relevant logos works well. The more imagery the better; there are no strict size limits.
Q: What happens if I encounter a technical error during submission?
If you experience a technical issue that prevents you from completing the form, email the Torchie Awards inbox (torchieawards2026@braze.com) with the answers to the submission questions for your chosen category, along with your logos and supporting imagery. The team will manually enter your submission.
Q: How does Braze pick the winners?
A cross-functional voting panel of Braze leadership reviews and assigns a ranking to the top five submissions from each category. The submission that receives the most votes from this panel is declared the winner.
Q: What if the submission window has already closed — can I still submit?
Any submissions sent after the official deadline has passed will not be considered.
TIMELINE & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Q: When will I find out if I am a finalist?
Finalists will be notified mid-August. Watch for a direct email from the Torchie Awards team.
Q: Can I share that I've been selected as a finalist?
Yes — you are encouraged to promote your finalist status publicly and on social media. However, please keep your winner or runner-up status confidential until it is officially announced at the Torchie Awards ceremony on Day 1 of the Forge conference.
Q: When are winners announced?
Winners are announced live at the Torchie Awards ceremony on Day 1 of the Forge conference. People's Choice Award winners (where applicable) are announced separately.
WINNER & FINALIST PERKS
Q: What do finalists and winners receive?
All finalists receive recognition across Braze channels (LinkedIn, the Braze blog, Bonfire Community), a social asset to share their finalist status, inclusion in the Torchie Lounge at Forge, and reserved/VIP seating at the Torchie Awards ceremony. Winners additionally receive a personalized trophy, one complimentary ticket to the Forge conference (valued at approximately $1,199), thought leadership and speaking opportunities at Braze events, and a social media kit. Winners of the Braze for Impact Award also receive a $10,000 USD social impact grant.
Q: How do I claim VIP seating at the Torchie Awards ceremony?
After being notified of your finalist status, you will receive a form to register your company's attendees for the VIP reserved seating area. This form has a deadline — complete it promptly, as seats are reserved only for those who register.
Q: Can I bring teammates to the VIP seating area?
Yes. The VIP seating form allows you to list multiple people from your company. Complete it for everyone who should be included in the reserved area.
Q: Who should accept the award on stage?
You can designate one from your company or team to accept the award on stage. Please confirm the name of your on-stage acceptee with the Torchie Awards team in advance.
Q: Will there be a winner trophy? Do runners-up receive one?
Winners receive a personalized Torchie trophy. Runners-up do not receive a standard trophy.
Q: How do I get my physical Torchie Award home?
You don’t have to pack it in your suitcase! While we will have a trophy for you to take photos with and to use onstage during the show, we will mail your personalized physical trophy directly to the shipping address you provide us ahead of time.
Q: Will there be social assets I can share if my submission wins an award?
Yes. After the ceremony, the Braze team will send the winning social assets and suggested copy. If you win the People's Choice Award, a separate social asset will be provided for that recognition as well.
Q: Are there strict guidelines for using the Torchie Awards social assets?
Yes. To maintain the integrity of the Torchie Awards brand, you must use the images in their original, unaltered form. You may not crop, resize, change colors, add text or logos, distort, or apply filters to the provided assets.
Q: Can I share publicly that I've won after the ceremony?
Yes — once the awards are announced at the ceremony, winners are free to share their win publicly. Braze will also promote winners across its channels.
PARTNER AWARD SPECIFICS
Q: What is the difference between Partner Campaign of the Year and Technology Partner of the Year?
Partner Campaign of the Year recognizes a specific campaign that a Braze partner executed in collaboration with a customer. Technology Partner of the Year recognizes a technology partner for their overall impact, innovation, and contributions to the Braze ecosystem — not necessarily tied to a single campaign. If you are unsure which category best fits, the Braze team may reassign it to the most appropriate one.
Q: Can a customer-facing submission be entered under a partner category?
No. Customer award categories (such as Creative Excellence) are for Braze customers, and partner categories are for Braze Partners. If a campaign involves both a Partner and a customer, determine which entity is the primary nominee and choose accordingly. When in doubt, email the Torchie Awards team for guidance.
PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS
Q: What are the People's Choice Awards?
The People's Choice Awards are a community voting element used at Forge. Attendees (both onsite and digital) vote for their favorite finalist in select categories (such as Campaign of the Year and Creative Excellence). The winner is announced on the last day of Forge. Eligible finalists and runners-up are automatically included — no additional action is required.
Q: Can a runner-up win a People's Choice Award?
Yes. Runners-up in eligible categories are included in People's Choice voting alongside other finalists. A runner-up can win the People's Choice Award even if they did not win the primary category award.
GENERAL
Q: How do I contact the Torchie Awards team with questions?
Email torchieawards2026@braze.com. The team monitors this inbox and will respond to questions about eligibility, submissions, and logistics.
Q: Can my submission be used in Braze marketing materials?
As part of the submission process, submitters agree to Braze's Terms & Conditions, which may include use of submitted content for promotional purposes. The Braze team will typically request explicit approval before publishing detailed campaign summaries or using logos publicly.