Empowered 2A announced that the Derya DY9Z, manufactured by Derya Arms, has been named the 2026 Empowered 2A Gun of the Year. The striker-fired 9mm pistol features a compact profile, 15+1 capacity, optics-ready slide, and vibrant color options designed to appeal to diverse firearm owners, particularly women seeking performance and style.
Wildlife Research Center® won the 2026 Kinsey's Dealer Choice Award for Best in Category – Hunting Accessory, as voted by Kinsey's dealers. The award recognizes the company's commitment to quality, innovation, and performance in hunting scents and accessories.
Streamlight Inc. recognized Odle Sales as its 2025 Sales Rep Agency of the Year Award recipient for the Sporting Goods Market at SHOT Show in Las Vegas. The Columbia, Missouri-based manufacturers' representative agency was honored for exceptional sales achievement and advancing Streamlight's presence in the shooting, hunting, and outdoor industry.
Streamlight Inc. awarded 144th Marketing Group LLC the 2025 Sales Rep Agency of the Year Award for Law Enforcement at SHOT Show in Las Vegas. The Peachtree City, GA-based manufacturers' representative agency was recognized for outstanding sales achievement in Southeast territories.
Big Game Treestands earned the 2026 Readers' Choice Gold Award from Bowhunting World in the Ladder/Tripod category, recognized for smart design and proven performance. The award highlights Big Game's commitment to stability, comfort, and reliability in elevated hunting solutions.
ALPS OutdoorZ and founder Dennis Brune received the Lynn Boykin Hunting Heritage Award from the National Wild Turkey Federation at their 50th Annual National Convention. The company has contributed over $800,000 to NWTF's mission, including $170,000 for education and outreach, supporting mentored hunting and next-generation hunters since 2008.
Outdoor Edge won the Gold Award in the Knife category of the Bowhunting World and Predator Xtreme 2026 Readers' Choice Awards, marking the fifth recognition in six years. The Denver-based manufacturer's patented RazorSafe® replaceable blade system continues to resonate with hunters and outdoor enthusiasts.
Mossy Oak announced its ProStaff of the Year winners, with Hunter Bonner and Hunter Englehart tying for the honor. Both winners will receive an all-expense-paid trip in 2026, while all 20 nominated ProStaff members receive $250 gift codes to the Mossy Oak Store.
TenPoint Crossbow Technologies earned two prestigious honors at the 2026 Kinsey's Dealer Show: Best in Crossbows for the fourth consecutive year and Best Innovator in Archery for the Turbo X. The awards recognize dealer votes across eight categories, reflecting TenPoint's reliability, innovation, and service excellence in the crossbow industry.
Birchwood Casey won the Readers' Choice 2026 Gold Award in the Shooting Target category from Predator Xtreme magazine for the second consecutive year, recognizing the brand's innovation, reliability, and leadership in shooting industry products.
Lee R. Anderson received the Beretta & Safari Club International Foundation Conservation Leadership Award at the 11th Annual Award Gala in Nashville, Tennessee. The prestigious award, sponsored by Beretta, recognizes Anderson's exemplary leadership and lifetime commitment to wildlife conservation, outdoor education, and humanitarian service.
Avian-X won the Bowhunting World Readers' Choice 2026 Gold Award for Wild Turkey Decoys, marking the brand's second consecutive victory. The award recognizes the realism and durability of Avian-X's HDR line, including the HDR Strutter, HDR Jake, and HDR Feeding Hen decoys.
The National Wild Turkey Federation received the Winchester Legend Award at its 50th Convention and Sport Show in Nashville, Tennessee. Winchester Ammunition presented the award recognizing the NWTF's decades of commitment to conservation and hunting traditions. NWTF Board Chairman Bryan Perry accepted on behalf of the organization and its volunteers, members, and partners.
Zanders, an all-women-owned distributor based in Sparta, Illinois, received OpticsPlanet's Distributor of the Year award for 2025. The recognition honors Zanders' commitment to outstanding service, reliable fulfillment, and industry-leading product availability across firearms, ammunition, optics, and outdoor gear.
Muddy Outdoors received a 2026 Gold Award in the Climbing Stick category from Bowhunting World magazine readers. The award recognizes Muddy's innovative climbing sticks and systems, including the Pro Sticks, for their design, durability, and ease of use trusted by hunters.
Springfield Armory's Kuna 9mm pistol has earned an Editors' Choice Award from On Target magazine for being selected as a best new product for 2025. The PDW-style pistol features a roller-delayed operating system, ambidextrous controls, and is priced at $1,179 to $1,330 depending on configuration.
Traditions® Performance Firearms honored The WL Carter Company as its 2025 Rep Group of the Year during pre-SHOT Show activities in Las Vegas. The award recognizes the manufacturer's representative group's exceptional performance and 28-year partnership with Traditions Firearms since 1998.
Ameristep won a Gold Award in the Ground Blind category from Bowhunting World magazine readers for the second consecutive year in 2026. The company introduced the Frontline Wide-Bottom Extreme, a hub-style blind accommodating up to three hunters with six silent sliding windows and a 180° bowhunter view.
Traditions® Performance Firearms announced Steve Kirkpatrick of The WL Carter Company as the 2025 Sales Representative of the Year. Kirkpatrick has represented Traditions products since 2006, demonstrating outstanding performance and dedication to customer relationships and brand growth.
Outdoor Sportsman Group presented Chris Dolnack, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, with its Lifetime Achievement Award at SHOT Show in Las Vegas. The award, presented by Michael Waddell during live filming, recognized Dolnack's three decades of contributions to the shooting sports and firearms industry.