CRN Channel Awards Australia 2026: Winners react

Find out what the winners had to say about their wins at this year’s awards.

Last week, CRN crowned 32 winners for the inaugural CRN Channel Awards Australia.

Vendors, distributors and partners were celebrated for their hard work they’ve made within the Aussie IT channel.

[PHOTOS: What you missed at the CRN Channel Awards Australia]

The winners were celebrated at a black-tie gala at the Hyatt Regency in the heart of Sydney. From the best AI and Automation Vendor to the Woman of the Year Partner and Non-Partner, we asked the winners of this year’s CRN Channel Awards Australia, what winning means to them.

Here is what the winners had to say!

AI and Automation Vendor of the Year: LogicMonitor

Winning the AI and Automation Vendor of the Year award is an important recognition of the work LogicMonitorand our partners are doing to help Australian organisations turn AI into measurable operational outcomes.

For LogicMonitor, AI is about helping organisations manage growing IT complexity with greater visibility, intelligence and speed. Through our hybrid observability platform and Edwin AI, we are helping organisations and managed service providers reduce alert noise, accelerate incident investigation and resolution, and move towards more proactive and resilient IT operations.

This award also reflects the strength of LogicMonitor’s Australian partner ecosystem. The channel is central to how we bring these capabilities to customers, combining our technology with their local expertise, trusted relationships and understanding of customer needs.

This recognition validates our approach and our commitment to keep investing in our partners as organisations increasingly move towards more proactive, AI-driven IT operations.

Samantha Bala, director, marketing APJ, LogicMonitor

AI Initiative of the Year: First Focus

We’re incredibly proud to see CORE recognised as CRN’s AI Initiative of the Year, but the part that means the most to us is what our customers are achieving with it.

The traditional managed services model was built to keep technology running. We believe it now needs to evolve to help businesses continuously improve how they operate, with AI and automation becoming part of that responsibility.

Our customers know their businesses better than anyone. They know where people are losing time, where customers could be better served and where a different way of working could create real value. Our job is to help turn those opportunities into something practical, secure and measurable.

That’s also what sits behind our $100,000 AI Investment Fund. We’re backing our customers’ ideas, sharing some of the risk and working alongside them to prove what’s possible. This award recognises our team, but also the customers who have trusted us to innovate alongside them and bring those ideas to life.

Ross Sardi, managing director, First Focus

Best Young Professional Services Initiative: Kirra Academy, Kirra Services

Winning the CRN Channel Award for Best Young Professional Initiative was incredibly special for us.

The part that means the most is that it recognises the young people at the centre of these programs. We get to watch them step into opportunities, build confidence, learn new skills and start to see a future for themselves in technology that they may not have thought was possible before.

That is the bit that matters.

We are so proud of every young person who has trusted us, backed themselves and given these opportunities a go. We are also incredibly grateful to the clients, partners and mentors who keep opening doors and giving our trainees genuine opportunities to learn, grow and prove themselves.

Our hope is that this award also creates conversation and encourages more organisations across our industry to get involved. CRN has such a powerful platform, and recognition like this can help shine a light on what is possible when we work collectively to create real opportunities.

Through our CTS Program — Culturally Strong, Technically Capable, Sustainable Employment — we want to build more and more of these pathways, and we would love to see more organisations come alongside us, support the program and help us grow the impact we can make together.

Winning the award is wonderful, but creating lasting opportunity is what being Powered by Purpose really means to Kirra.

Trish Young, program manager, Kirra Services

Cloud Distributor/Marketplace of the Year & Storage Distributor of the Year: Dicker Data

CRN has created a wonderful platform to recognise the people and companies in our industry that are making a difference and having a positive impact on the Australian channel. We’re incredibly proud to have been nominated across several categories and to come away with multiple wins. Recognition like this is meaningful because it reflects the collective effort of our people, partners and vendors, and the contribution they make to strengthening the broader ecosystem.

Industry forums such as the CRN Channel Awards also play an important role in showcasing excellence, celebrating innovation and helping shape where attention and business are directed across the channel. For that reason, we were pleased to support the inaugural awards as a sponsor and contribute to an event that puts the achievements of Australia’s channel community firmly in the spotlight.

Ben Johnson, general manager – marketing and strategy, ANZ, Dicker Data

Channel Leader of the Year: Shaun Witherden, Kaseya

Winning Channel Leader of the Year is honestly very special. I’ve always believed that the channel is built on people, relationships and community, not just products and programs.

I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built with our partners and the wider MSP community, and this award is really recognition of the people around me who make it all possible. I’m lucky to work with some seriously good people, and I certainly don’t take that for granted.

For me, the best part of this industry is seeing our partners succeed, learning from each other and having a bit of fun along the way. The channel never stands still, and that’s what makes it so exciting.

A massive thank you to our partners, the Kaseya team, and everyone who took the time to support me. I’m genuinely chuffed to be recognised by a community I care so much about.

Channel Service Provider of the Year: Pit Stop Technologies

We're seventeen people in Kadina on the Yorke Peninsula, a long way from the big city offices the channel usually calls home, and we stood on that stage next to some of the biggest names in the industry and won.

That's what gets me. You don't need a capital city address to do work that matters. Real people, real solutions works just as hard from a regional footprint as it does anywhere else in this country, and last week proved it.

This one's for the whole team, and especially for my co-founder Plato Lagoudakis, who built this business with me from a dining table sixteen years ago. It's for every client across South Australia who backed a local team to look after them properly, the PST way.

It's a moment to stop and look at what we've actually built. And it's a reminder that the channel is stronger when it makes room for teams like ours.

Thank you, CRN, for the recognition. We're just getting started.

Helene Martin, founder and managing director, Pit Stop Technologies

Cloud Vendor of the Year & Emerging Vendor of the Year: Wasabi Technologies

Winning both Cloud Vendor of the Year and Emerging Vendor of the Year at the inaugural CRN Channel Awards Australia 2026 is incredibly meaningful.

It validates the hard work our team and partners have put into delivering simple, high-performance, cost-effective hot cloud storage that truly serves the channel. Being recognised as both an emerging force and a leading cloud vendor in the same year shows that our focus on predictable pricing, no egress fees, and strong partner enablement is resonating in the Australian market. And with the emergence of AI workloads that require fast storage, we are very excited about the future.

This dual win is not just about trophies — it’s proof that customers and partners value what we’re building. It motivates us to keep innovating and supporting the channel even more strongly. Huge thanks to CRN Australia, our partners, and every customer who has trusted Wasabi. We’re just getting started. Onwards and Upwards!!

Craig Stockdale, country manager ANZ, Wasabi Technologies

Distributor of the year: Synnex Australia

Being named CRN Distributor of the Year 2026 is a significant and proud milestone for Synnex Australia, recognising the breadth of value we deliver across the channel.

This award acknowledges the continued evolution of our business and our commitment to supporting partners and vendors throughout the technology lifecycle,

from providing access to leading technologies and market opportunities to delivering the solutions, services and capabilities that help bring them to market.

At Synnex, creating value extends well beyond the transaction. By combining our diverse portfolio and strong partner ecosystem, we help businesses navigate

an increasingly complex technology landscape, and capitalise on emerging opportunities in AI, automation and digital transformation.

This recognition also highlights the dedication and expertise of our people across sales, product, marketing, services, operations, logistics and support.

Their commitment to our partners and vendors is central to everything we do.

This award is a strong endorsement of where Synnex is today and the role we continue to play in helping partners and vendors identify new opportunities, solve business challenges and achieve sustainable growth.

Arthur Gimisis, CEO, Synnex ANZ.

ISV of the Year: iasset

Awards in our industry often go to the biggest brands or the loudest voices. What makes this recognition special is that it acknowledges work that has been done over many years, inside the channel, helping vendors, distributors and partners solve real commercial challenges.

For 18 years, iasset has focused on a problem that isn't glamorous but creates enormous value: addressing the neglected revenue sitting in the installed base. This award belongs to the team who built and delivered that vision, and customers who trusted us with their data long before it was obvious we were right.

Appreciative to be recognised!

Scott Frew, CEO, iasset

MSP of the Year (between 0-49 employees): Otto IT

Being recognised as MSP of the Year is an incredible honour for the entire Otto IT team. As a growing Australian business, this award reflects years of hard work, innovation and an unwavering commitment to helping our clients succeed through technology.

This achievement belongs to our entire team. Every person at Otto IT contributes to the culture, expertise and passion that define who we are. We are also grateful to our customers and partners who continue to support our growth and challenge us to be better every day.

We're incredibly proud of this recognition and excited about what comes next.

For a business of our size to be recognised as Australia's leading MSP is something we're immensely proud of, and it reinforces our belief that customer obsession, great people and a clear purpose can achieve remarkable outcomes.

Megan Visser, chief customer and marketing officer, Otto IT

MSP of the Year (between 50-99 employees): Fuse Technology

Winning MSP of the Year from CRN means a lot to us. Awards like this don't come from one person or one project they come from a team that turns up every day and does the hard, unglamorous work of keeping our clients' businesses running securely and well. That's the part I'm most proud of.

I want to thank our clients for trusting us with something as important as their technology, and our partners for backing us. And to the Fuse team across Australia, the UK, Canada and Vietnam.

The landscape isn't getting any simpler. AI, cloud and the modern workplace are changing how every business operates, and the security risks are growing alongside them. Our job is to cut through that noise and help our clients use technology with confidence, without the complexity landing on their desk. This award tells us we're on the right track, and it sets the bar for what we do next.

Chuong Mai-Viet, Managing Director, Fuse Technology

MSP of the Year (more than 100 employees): Interactive

This is one of the most respected awards in the Australian technology industry, and it belongs to every one of you.

While the award carries Interactive’s name, it recognises something much bigger: the people who show up every day to support our customers, solve difficult problems, embrace change, and deliver exceptional outcomes.

In our submission, we spoke about Interactive being the partner Australian organisations call when assurance and uptime aren't optional. We spoke about the trust our customers place in us to support some of their most critical technology environments. We highlighted our ability to bring together expertise, operational excellence and sovereign capability in a way that helps customers make confident decisions for today and what comes next.

Alex Coates, CEO, Interactive

MSSP of the Year: Orro

This award means a lot to all of us at Orro. Winning MSSP of the Year is recognition of the years of investment in building genuine depth in our security capability - not just the technology, but the people behind it. Our customers trust us with some of their most critical environments, across sectors like energy and water resources, transport and logistics, healthcare, finance and government, and that trust has to be earned every single day.

This award belongs to our security operations team and everyone across Orro who has played a part in that work. It's a real point of pride for the business, and it sets a strong benchmark as we keep pushing to be the security partner Australian enterprises can rely on.

Dan Greengarten, CEO, Orro

Role Model of the Year: Ben Hopper, RES. Business IT

I was genuinely surprised to win. It was already an honour to be named a finalist, especially alongside people I know and respect, some of whom have been great sounding boards for ideas we’ve had at RES.

The idea of being seen as a role model still feels a little strange to me. I’m not someone who seeks the spotlight, but I’ve always been happy to share what I know, help where I can and back good people. This recognition has made me reflect a little more on the impact you can have simply by doing those things consistently.

I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to have managers, peers and other business leaders who have been incredibly generous with their time and advice. I’ve tried to carry that forward in the way I lead at RES.

A big part of what I enjoy is working with a high-trust, capable team and creating the conditions for people to contribute, grow and make things happen. In many ways, this award feels like a reflection of that team and environment as much as anything I’ve done individually.

Security Initiative of the Year: Digital61

Winning Security Initiative of the Year is an incredibly proud moment for Digital61 and our Cyber61 team. For us, this award is recognition of the hard work, innovation and commitment our people bring every day to helping Australian organisations strengthen their cyber resilience.

We have invested significantly in building sovereign security capability, combining great people, strong partnerships and leading technologies to deliver practical security outcomes for our customers. What makes this particularly special is that it recognises the collective effort behind the scenes, from our security analysts and architects through to our delivery and customer teams.

A huge thank you to our people, our customers and our technology partners who continue to trust and support us. We’re very proud of what we’ve built, but even more excited about what comes next.

Sunny Bhatia, chief information and digital officer, Digital61

Security Distributor of the Year: Westcon-Comstor Australia

This award is incredibly meaningful because it reflects the collective effort of a passionate team, hyper focussed on Security that has worked hard to build stronger vendor and partner engagement. We see the award as a reflection of the culture we've built at Westcon-Comstor, one that embraces innovation, collaboration, and a willingness to challenge traditional ways of working.

Winning the inaugural Security Distributor of the Year is particularly special given the calibre of talent across the Australian IT channel. It provides a moment to reflect on how far we've come, celebrate the people behind the success, and gives us even more motivation to continue raising the bar for ourselves, our partners, and our vendors in the years ahead.

Seamus Person, head of marketing Australia and APAC Programs, Westcon-Comstor

Security Vendor of the Year: Proofpoint

Being named Security Vendor of the Year by CRN is a fantastic recognition for Proofpoint, but more importantly, it reflects the incredible strength, trust, and resilience of the partner community we’re building across Australia and New Zealand.

Our go-to-market strategy remains 100% channel-focused. As data protection, human-targeted cyber risks, and AI security take centre stage, the work our partners do to safeguard our collective customers has never been more critical. This award validates our shared commitment to helping businesses protect their most vulnerable attack vectors: their people and their data.

Over the past year, we have significantly expanded our local enablement, joint investments and programs across ANZ to ensure our channel ecosystem is empowered to grow and succeed together.

A huge thank you to Athina and the CRN team for this recognition, as well as to our valued partners and the entire Proofpoint team. I view this as a genuine, shared victory, and I’m looking forward to continuing our growth and momentum together.

Johann Ramchandra, director, channel sales, APAC Proofpoint

Solution Provider Innovation/Project of the Year: Tecala

Winning the CRN Channel Award Australia for Solution Provider Innovation/Project of the Year is a fantastic recognition of what the Tecala team has been working towards: making innovation practical, accessible and focused on real business outcomes.

What makes this award especially meaningful is that it reflects the way we work with our customers every day. We take real operational challenges and apply the right combination of AI, automation and human expertise to create solutions that are practical, scalable and measurable. That means helping customers reduce manual effort, improve accuracy, increase productivity and create better experiences for their own teams and customers.

We are incredibly proud of the team behind this work, and equally grateful to our customers and partners who trust us to innovate alongside them. For us, innovation is not about technology for technology’s sake. It is about finding better ways to get work done and delivering outcomes that make a genuine difference.

Solution Provider of the Year (Between 0-49 employees): MSAC Solutions

MSAC are delighted to be awarded Solution Provider of the Year (0–49 employees) at the 2026 CRN Channel Awards. It's a privilege to be recognised by our industry peers, particularly alongside such a strong field of fellow finalists.

This award belongs to our whole team. MSAC is a business of around 30 people, and every one of them has contributed to the work that got us here. That work is helping retailers and their supply chains across Australia, UK, Asia and the US manage compliance, EPR, product quality and supply chain risk with confidence.

It's also a strong endorsement of Addis, our AI-powered certification and compliance platform. We built Addis to take the manual effort out of compliance, so our clients can focus on what matters most: safe, trusted products on their shelves.

Thank you to CRN and The Channel Co, to our clients for their trust and partnership, and to our team for their dedication. We're proud of what we've achieved, honoured by this recognition and excited about what comes next."

Andy McKie, managing director, MSAC Solutions

Solution Provider of the Year (Between 50-99 employees): Customer Science

We’re thrilled to be named Solution Provider of the Year (50–99 employees). This award recognises the care and expertise our team brings to helping organisations improve customer service.

We’re proud of our work with past and current clients including Australian Super, Bunnings and Prezzee and grateful for the trust they place in us. It’s a wonderful moment to share with everyone at Customer Science.

Todd Gorsuch, CEO and founder of Customer Science

Solution Provider of the Year (More than 100 employees): V2 AI

Being acknowledged as Solution Provider of the Year at the CRN Channel Awards 2026 is a strong recognition of the depth of expertise, experience and capability across the V2 AI team.

In the accelerated world of AI where there is a lot of hype, this award is a great validation of value delivery to our clients, in some of the most complex, regulated businesses in the world across financial services, government, energy, resources and telecommunications.

We understand what it takes to move quickly while meeting the security, governance and operational requirements of heavily regulated environments. And we’re just getting started.

Craig Howe, CEO, V2 AI

Start Up of the Year: Sasbri Consulting

Sasbri stands for Small Accelerative Steps for Big Results and Impact, and that philosophy sits at the heart of everything we do. In an AI-first world where everything moves at pace, it's easy to focus on the next big thing and overlook the fundamentals.

Yet sustainable success comes from building strong foundations and taking the right small steps that create momentum, capability, and lasting impact.

That's why this recognition means so much. It's validation that there is a genuine need for this approach and that the work we're doing is making a difference across the partner ecosystem.

I'm incredibly grateful to CRN and the judging panel for this recognition, but even more grateful to the distributors, partners, customers, and industry peers who have trusted us to be part of their journey.

More than anything, this award is proof that when you genuinely focus on helping others succeed, incredible things can happen. While the award may have Sasbri Consulting's name on it, it belongs just as much to the partner community that has supported us, challenged us, and trusted us to be part of their growth journey.

Lee-Ann Dias, director and founder, Sasbri Consulting

Woman of the Year (Partner): Megan Visser, Otto IT

Winning Woman of the Year is a super special moment.

I'm an old-school nerd at heart, and I've been incredibly fortunate to build a career in an industry that has celebrated that. I have had the opportunity to work with amazing people both within industry and across the clients I have worked with over the years, build great teams and be part of businesses that are constantly evolving and growing (as is the way in our space).

There are so many talented women making a significant contribution to the growth and success of the channel, which is why receiving this award is so exciting. To be recognised by industry peers in this way is incredibly meaningful.

I'm proud of my career thus far, the places it’s taken me, and what we’re building at Otto IT. I’m looking forward for what's ahead, and grateful to CRN for this recognition.

Editor’s Note: CRN Australia reached out to each winner, not all responded in time of publishing.