The IEEE Signal Processing Society is committed to evolving alongside our dynamic field. Following the amendments to our Bylaws and Policies in 2025, we are pleased to announce several key updates to the SPS awards program designed to increase prestige, transparency, technical diversity, and industrial representation.

1. Reorganization of the SPS Award portfolio

The SPS awards now follow a refined hierarchy starting in 2026 to clarify the prestige and career stage associated with each honor. The hierarchy breakdown is noted below, and full details can be found online.

• Society Major Awards
• Society Career Awards
• Society Recognitions
• Society Paper Awards
• Co-Sponsored Awards

2. Strategic Awards Stimulation 

We have established a new Awards Search Committee that is responsible for identifying and fostering nominations of outstanding candidates who reflect a broad range of technical expertise, geographic regions, professional sectors, and other relevant attributes. Its duty is to raise awareness of the awards program, help identify worthy candidates, and diversify the pool of nominees.

3. Best Paper Award Streamlined Reviews and Presentations

To manage the growth of our publications, we have introduced Best Paper Award Review Committees for each of the Society's three technical clusters, which are noted below. These committees perform the evaluation and ranking of nominations to not only ensure they reflect quality merit but also cover a broad range of technical expertise and geographic diversity. 

Technical Cluster breakdown: 

• Cluster 1: Speech, Audio, Language, and Industry.
• Cluster 2: Imaging, Video, Multimedia, and Forensics.
• Cluster 3: Machine Learning, SAM, COM, and SPTM.

These committees help assist the selection for the Award Board to determine award recipients.

In the future, there will be best paper awards presentations and sessions in ICASSP/ICIP conferences.

3. Enhanced Industrial Focus

Industry participation is more critical than ever. The Awards Board now includes a representative named from the Industry Board to ensure our industrial members' voices are heard. 

Also the formerly known Amar G. Bose Industrial Leader Award has been updated to become the Amar G. Bose Industrial Achievement Award to more accurately capture its broader scope on industry technical achievement and leadership.

4. Key Award Changes

Several major awards have been refined to elevate their stature and clarify eligibility:

• Norbert Wiener Lifetime Achievement Award
  Formerly known as the "Society Award,” it has been considered as the highest award bestowed by the Society. The name change reflects the award's prestige and broader impact covering all technical, educational, industrial, and leadership accomplishments, with its scope redefined from simply technical recognition to lifetime achievement.
   
• Claude Shannon-Harry Technical Achievement Award Expansion
  Criteria refined for clarity, and the number of annual recipients has increased from up to two to up to three, reflecting the growth in Society membership and technical expansion.
   
• Carl Friedrich Gauss Education Award Clarification
  Criteria now explicitly includes the mentorship of successful researchers and educators.
   
• Leo L. Beranek Meritorious Service Award Scope Refinement
  Scope refined to focus on an outstanding and long-term record of service to the welfare of the Society.
   
• Meritorious Regional/Chapter Service Award Criteria Update
  Judging now includes dedication and effort specifically aimed at promoting technical and educational activities in one specific region or chapter.

5. Prize Increases 

The Society is proud to announce a substantial investment in our awards program. We have significantly increased the monetary value of our most prestigious Society Major Awards:

Major Awards: A New Standard of Recognition

Award                                                                                           New Prize Amount
Norbert Wiener Lifetime Achievement Award                                $10,000 
Claude Shannon-Harry Nyquist Technical Achievement Award    $  2,500 
Carl Friedrich Gauss Education Award                                         $  2,500 
Leo L. Beranek Meritorious Service Award                                   $  2,500 
Amar G. Bose Industrial Achievement Award                               $  2,500 

Society Paper Awards

All Society Paper Awards have been updated to a standard payout of $500 per author, with a maximum payout of $2,000 per award.

We encourage all members to review these updates and nominate their peers for their outstanding contributions to the signal processing community.