WE Award - Women Excellence 2026: Il Sole 24 Ore, Financial Times and Sky Tg24 together for the fourth edition

Il Sole 24 Ore, in collaboration with Financial Times and with the media partnership of Sky Tg24, presents the fourth edition of the WE Award - Women Excellence 2026, the recognition dedicated to women who, thanks to their vision, determination and talent, generate positive impacts in society. The award is part of the Women at the Top project, created to celebrate female excellence and valorise human and professional paths capable of making a concrete impact on the economic, social and cultural development of the country.

The central novelty of the 2026 edition is the introduction of the WE Award Women Excellence - Emerging Talents, the new nomination pathway aimed at women under 30, designed to intercept and valorise the new generations of female talent that are already contributing, with ideas, projects and vision, to building the future. Alongside the traditional WE Award - Women Excellence route, open to women of all ages who have consolidated significant experience and results in their field of activity, the award thus broadens its scope, reinforcing its focus on young protagonists of change.

Applications are open from 21 April to 7 October 2026. Women who, as of 10 November 2026, are not yet 30 years of age will be able to choose whether to apply for the Emerging Talent track or compete in the main track, while women who are already 30 years of age will only be able to participate in the WE Award - Women Excellence.

In continuity with previous editions, there are no limits to the scope of action: applications may be made directly, by submitting one's own story, or indirectly, by submitting women's stories deemed worthy, subject to the consent of the interested party.

Once the nominations are closed, the analysis and selection phase will begin. For the WE Award - Women Excellence route, applications will be assessed and assigned to the categories Business & Leadership, Social Impact, Training & Research, Innovation & Future, ESG, Welfare and CSR, in order to identify a qualified shortlist to be submitted to the Commission for the final selection. The Emerging Talents track, on the other hand, envisages a dedicated selection, without division into categories, with particular attention paid to the value of the personal path, vision and potential impact of the projects presented. The organising committee may also award special mentions to particularly significant stories.