2024 etf.com Awards
The Awards honored the most influential, innovative, and impactful global players in the ETF industry. Winners spanned across 17 categories and were acknowledged for their countless efforts to continuously further and improve the ETF landscape.
Event Details
| Event Date | April 17, 2024 |
| Location | Tribeca Rooftop |
| Address | 2 Desbrosses Street, NYC |
| Time | 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM |
2024 etf.com Award Winners
Lifetime Achievement Award
Winner: Jan van Eck, VanEck
The Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Jan van Eck. Jan’s vision and foresight led VanEck to become one of the first firms to bring ETFs to the market, and more recently became a leader in the race to launch the first spot bitcoin ETFs.
Nominees
Andrew Schlossberg, President and CEO, Invesco
Bob Pisani, Correspondent, CNBC
Hunter Horsley, Cofounder, CEO, Bitwise Asset Management
Jan van Eck, CEO, VanEck
Joanna Gallegos, Cofounder, BondBloxx
Rory Tobin, Global Head SPDR ETFs, State Street Global Advisors
Best New ETF
Winner: Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (MAGS)
The Best New ETF award goes to the Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (MAGS). At the time of its 2023 rebranding and launch, MAGS was the first U.S.-listed ETF to track the Mag 7 stocks.
Nominees
Capital Group Core Balanced ETF (CGBL)
Innovator Equity Defined Protection ETF (TJUL)
ProShares S&P 500 High Income ETF (ISPY)
Roundhill Generative AI & Technology ETF (CHAT)
Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (MAGS)
New ETF Issuer of the Year
Winner: Morgan Stanley Investment Management
The New ETF Issuer of the Year award goes to Morgan Stanley Investment Management. Following MSIM’s successful ETF platform launch in 2023, assets have reached $1.75 billion across 14 funds featuring a range of fixed-income, equity and active strategies.
Nominees
Calamos Investments
Madison Investments
Morgan Stanley Investment Management
Panagram Structured Asset Management
Tema ETFs
Best New U.S. Fixed Income ETF
Winner: Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt ETF (VTES)
The Best New U.S. Fixed Income ETF goes to Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt ETF (VTES). In a year when many of its category peers were seeing outflows, VTES accumulated nearly $400 million in assets.
Nominees
Amplify Samsung SOFR ETF (SOF)
Bondbloxx USD High Yield Bond Sector Rotation ETF (HYSA)
Calamos Convertible Equity Alternative ETF (CVRT)
Calvert Ultra-Short Investment Grade ETF (CVSB)
Vanguard Short-Term Tax-Exempt ETF (VTES)
Best Thematic ETF of the Year
Winner: Sprott Uranium Miners ETF (URNM)
The Best Thematic ETF of the Year award goes to Sprott Uranium Miners ETF (URNM). One of the few funds offering exposure to uranium, URNM outperformed 99% of its natural resources category peers and more than doubled the return of the S&P 500 index in 2023.
Nominees
Columbia EM Core ex-China ETF (XCEM)
Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AIQ)
Sprott Uranium Miners ETF (URNM)
VanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETF (MOAT)
VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH)
Best New International/Global Equity ETF
Winner: Capital Group Dividend Growers ETF (CGDG)
The Best New International/Global ETF award goes to Capital Group Dividend Growers ETF (CGDG). The fund offers investors an actively managed portfolio of global dividend stocks at an expense ratio lower than 80 percent of its peer group.
Nominees
Capital Group Dividend Growers ETF (CGDG)
CoreValues Alpha Greater China Growth ETF (CGRO)
KraneShares Global Luxury Index ETF (KLXY)
Matthews Pacific Tiger Active ETF (ASIA)
Sprott Junior Uranium Miners ETF (URNJ)
T. Rowe Price International Equity ETF (TOUS)
Best New ESG ETF
Winner: Xtrackers MSCI USA Climate Action Equity ETF (USCA)
The Best New ESG ETF award goes to the Xtrackers MSCI USA Climate Action Equity ETF (USCA). The fund accumulated $1.5 billion in assets in its nine months of existence in 2023 while the largest ESG ETFs saw billions in outflows.
Nominees
Academy Veteran Impact ETF (VETZ)
CNIC ICE U.S. Carbon Neutral Power Futures Index ETF (AMPD)
Matthews Emerging Markets Sustainable Future Active ETF (EMSF)
Touchstone Climate Transition ETF (HEAT)
Xtrackers MSCI USA Climate Action Equity ETF (USCA)
New ETF Ticker of the Year
Winner: Themes Cybersecurity ETF (SPAM)
The New ETF Ticker of the Year award goes to the Themes Cybersecurity ETF (SPAM). The ticker is a creative, tongue-in-cheek description for the fund that provides targeted exposure to the large-cap digital security software companies.
Nominees
Defiance Israel Bond ETF (CHAI)
MUSQ Global Music Industry ETF (MUSQ)
Strive Enhanced Income Short Maturity ETF (BUXX)
Themes Cybersecurity ETF (SPAM)
Touchstone Climate Transition ETF (HEAT)
DEI Award
Winner: Women in ETFs
The DEI Award goes to Women in ETFs. This non-profit organization provides valuable resources, networking opportunities, and professional development programs that have helped countless women advance their careers, making a significant impact on the ETF industry.
Nominees
Ethan Powell, Founder, Impact Shares
Karim Chedid, Head of Investment Strategy, iShares EMEA
Ophelia Snyder, Cofounder & President, 21.co
Patricia Lizarraga, Managing Partner, Hypatia Capital
Women in ETFs
ETF of the Year
Winner: Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows 100 ETF (CALF)
The ETF of the Year goes to Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows 100 ETF (CALF). The fund’s value-driven approach powered CALF to outperform 98% of its small cap value peers in 2023, logging in an impressive 35% gain.
Nominees
Bitwise Crypto Industry Innovators ETF (BITQ)
JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPQ)
Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF (QQQM)
Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP)
Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows 100 ETF (CALF)
ETF Issuer of the Year
Winner: Dimensional Fund Advisors
The ETF Issuer of the Year is Dimensional Fund Advisors. Known for its active management and factor-based strategies, DFA began launching ETFs in 2020, but in the short time since the issuer has grown quickly to 38 funds, crossing $100 billion in assets in 2023.
Nominees
Capital Group
Dimensional Fund Advisors
Fidelity Investments
Franklin Templeton
Invesco
VanEck
Best New Smart Beta or Factor ETF
Winner: Avantis All Equity Markets Value ETF (AVGV)
The award for Best New Smart Beta or Factor ETF goes to Avantis All Equity Markets Value ETF (AVGV). The fund outperformed its category average in 2023 while providing investors with a low-cost, tax-efficient, and globally diversified portfolio.
Nominees
Avantis All Equity Markets Value ETF (AVGV)
Aztlan Global Stock Selection DM SMID ETF (AZTD)
iShares Climate Conscious & Transition MSCI USA ETF (USCL)
SPDR Portfolio S&P Sector Neutral Dividend ETF (SPDG)
Xtrackers MSCI USA Climate Action Equity ETF (USCA)
Best New International/Global Fixed Income ETF
Winner: Dimensional Global Credit ETF (DGCB)
The Best New International/Global Fixed Income ETF award goes to the Dimensional Global Credit ETF (DGCB). While offering a low-cost, broadly diversified and actively managed portfolio of debt securities, DGCB outperformed its category peers after its 2023 inception.
Nominees
Defiance Israel Bond ETF (CHAI)
Dimensional Global Credit ETF (DGCB)
Franklin Templeton Western Asset Bond ETF (WABF)
Best New U.S. Equity ETF
Winner: Fidelity Disruptive Technology ETF (FDTX)
The Best New U.S. Equity ETF award goes to Fidelity Disruptive Technology ETF (FDTX). Converted from a mutual fund in 2023, FDTX is an actively managed fund that targets innovative businesses with potential for market disruption.
Nominees
Astoria US Quality Kings (ROE)
Fidelity Disruptive Technology ETF (FDTX)
GMO U.S. Quality ETF (QLTY)
ProShares S&P 500 High Income ETF (ISPY)
REX FANG & Innovation Equity Premium Income ETF (FEPI)
Roundhill Magnificent Seven ETF (MAGS)
Best New Active ETF
Winner: AB Disruptors ETF (FWD)
The Best New Active ETF award goes to the AB Disruptors ETF (FWD). Its focus on innovative and disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence allowed FWD to capitalize on the rapid growth trends that defined equity markets in 2023.
Nominees
AB Disruptors ETF (FWD)
Capital Group Core Balanced ETF (CGBL)
Fidelity Disruptive Technology ETF (FDTX)
Panagram BBB-B CLO ETF (CLOZ)
PIMCO Commodity Strategy Active ETF (CMDT)
Index Provider of the Year
Winner: NASDAQ
The Index Provider of the Year award goes to NASDAQ. Established in 1971, NASDAQ offers more than 40 years of experience in index research, creation and calculation services.
Nominees
Bitwise Asset Management
Bloomberg Index Services limited (Bloomberg Indices)
FTSE Russell, an LSEG Business
MarketVector Indexes
MSCI
NASDAQ
S&P Dow Jones Indices
21Shares
Education Provider of the Year
Winner: The ETF Institute
The award for ETF Education Provider of the Year goes to The ETF Institute. The ETF Institute is the first and only independent organization providing ETF industry professionals and financial advisors with certification, education, and training on exchange-traded funds.
Nominees
ETF Think Tank
eToro
Fidelity Investments
The ETF Institute
Vanguard
To view a complete list of previous winners and nominees
Eric Balchunas
Eric Balchunas is senior ETF analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, where he leads the ETF and fund research and contributes to Bloomberg Opinion. He is a frequent speaker at industry events and conferences, as well as the co-creator of the Bloomberg podcast Trillions and Bloomberg TV’s ETF IQ. He is author of The Bogle Effect (2022) and The Institutional ETF Toolbox (2016). Eric holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and environmental economics from Rutgers University.
Eric Balchunas
Senior ETF Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence
Marguerita Cheng
Marguerita (Rita) Cheng helps educate the public, policy makers, and media about the benefits of competent, ethical financial planning. As a Certified Financial Planner® professional and CEO of the financial advisory firm, Blue Ocean Global Wealth, She helps people meet their life goals through the proper management of financial resources. Rita is passionate about helping them navigate some of life’s most difficult issues—divorce, death, career changes, caring for aging relatives—so they can feel confident and in control of their finances. She is a regular columnist for Kiplinger and MarketWatch, and a past spokesperson for the AARP Financial Freedom Campaign. Rita volunteers her time as a SoleMate, or charity runner for Girls on the Run, raising money for scholarships for girls.
Marguerita Cheng
Chief Executive Officer at Blue Ocean Global Wealth
Deborah Fuhr
Deborah Fuhr has served as global head of ETF research and implementation strategy and as a managing director at BlackRock/Barclays Global Investors from 2008 – 2011. She also worked as a managing director and head of the investment strategy team at Morgan Stanley in London from 1997 – 2008, and as an associate at Greenwich Associates.
She has been working with investors, ETF, ETP providers, index providers, exchanges, MMs and APs, regulators, trade associations, custodians, law firms, accounting firms around the world since 1997.
Deborah Fuhr is a founder and board member of Women in ETFs “WE” the first women’s group for the ETF industry. Founded in January 2014, WE is a non-profit organization that brings together over 4,500 members, including women and men, in chapters in major financial centres around the world to CONNECT, SUPPORT and INSPIRE. WE achieves this by organizing events at our chapters globally that support our goals of education, networking, philanthropy and idea sharing across the industry and beyond. For more information, visit: www.womeninetfs.com
Deborah Fuhr
Managing Partner & Founder at ETFGI
Nate geraci
Nate geraci
President at The ETF Store
Lois Gregson
Lois Gregson
Senior ETF Analyst at FactSet
Benjamin Lavine
Benjamin Lavine, chief investment officer at 3D Capital Management, is an investment professional with over 20 years of experience in asset management and institutional consulting. He oversees investment strategy and research for 3D's ETF and DFA fund-managed portfolios. Ben has a versatile investment background and knowledge set having served as a portfolio manager on the developed markets equity team at Batterymarch Financial Management and as a vice president in the Funds Management Division at Wilshire Associates. Prior to joining 3D, he ran his own consulting practice, providing advisory services to buy-side and sell-side firms. Ben has an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and holds the CFA, CAIA and RICP designations.
Benjamin Lavine
Chief Investment Officer at 3D, a Freedom Advisors Company
Aniket Ullal
Aniket Ullal heads CFRA’s ETF data and analytics business. He has worked in the ETF industry since early in its development. Ullal founded First Bridge, one of the industry’s leading ETF data sets that was acquired by CFRA in 2019. Previously, he was the product head for U.S. index products at S&P Dow Jones Indices.
Aniket Ullal
Vice President, ETF Data & Analytics at CFRA
Eric Balchunas
Eric Balchunas is senior ETF analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, where he leads the ETF and fund research and contributes to Bloomberg Opinion. He is a frequent speaker at industry events and conferences, as well as the co-creator of the Bloomberg podcast Trillions and Bloomberg TV’s ETF IQ. He is author of The Bogle Effect (2022) and The Institutional ETF Toolbox (2016). Eric holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and environmental economics from Rutgers University.
Eric Balchunas
Senior ETF Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence
Marguerita Cheng
Marguerita (Rita) Cheng helps educate the public, policy makers, and media about the benefits of competent, ethical financial planning. As a Certified Financial Planner® professional and CEO of the financial advisory firm, Blue Ocean Global Wealth, She helps people meet their life goals through the proper management of financial resources. Rita is passionate about helping them navigate some of life’s most difficult issues—divorce, death, career changes, caring for aging relatives—so they can feel confident and in control of their finances. She is a regular columnist for Kiplinger and MarketWatch, and a past spokesperson for the AARP Financial Freedom Campaign. Rita volunteers her time as a SoleMate, or charity runner for Girls on the Run, raising money for scholarships for girls.
Marguerita Cheng
Chief Executive Officer at Blue Ocean Global Wealth
Deborah Fuhr
Deborah Fuhr has served as global head of ETF research and implementation strategy and as a managing director at BlackRock/Barclays Global Investors from 2008 – 2011. She also worked as a managing director and head of the investment strategy team at Morgan Stanley in London from 1997 – 2008, and as an associate at Greenwich Associates.
She has been working with investors, ETF, ETP providers, index providers, exchanges, MMs and APs, regulators, trade associations, custodians, law firms, accounting firms around the world since 1997.
Deborah Fuhr is a founder and board member of Women in ETFs “WE” the first women’s group for the ETF industry. Founded in January 2014, WE is a non-profit organization that brings together over 4,500 members, including women and men, in chapters in major financial centres around the world to CONNECT, SUPPORT and INSPIRE. WE achieves this by organizing events at our chapters globally that support our goals of education, networking, philanthropy and idea sharing across the industry and beyond. For more information, visit: www.womeninetfs.com
Deborah Fuhr
Managing Partner & Founder at ETFGI
Nate geraci
Nate geraci
President at The ETF Store
Lois Gregson
Lois Gregson
Senior ETF Analyst at FactSet
Benjamin Lavine
Benjamin Lavine, chief investment officer at 3D Capital Management, is an investment professional with over 20 years of experience in asset management and institutional consulting. He oversees investment strategy and research for 3D's ETF and DFA fund-managed portfolios. Ben has a versatile investment background and knowledge set having served as a portfolio manager on the developed markets equity team at Batterymarch Financial Management and as a vice president in the Funds Management Division at Wilshire Associates. Prior to joining 3D, he ran his own consulting practice, providing advisory services to buy-side and sell-side firms. Ben has an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and holds the CFA, CAIA and RICP designations.
Benjamin Lavine
Chief Investment Officer at 3D, a Freedom Advisors Company
Aniket Ullal
Aniket Ullal heads CFRA’s ETF data and analytics business. He has worked in the ETF industry since early in its development. Ullal founded First Bridge, one of the industry’s leading ETF data sets that was acquired by CFRA in 2019. Previously, he was the product head for U.S. index products at S&P Dow Jones Indices.
Aniket Ullal
Vice President, ETF Data & Analytics at CFRA
Methodology
etf.com Award winners are selected in a three-part process designed to leverage the insights and opinions of leaders throughout the ETF industry.
Step 1
The awards process begins with open nominations, which will commence on December 1, 2024 and close on January 10, 2024. Interested parties are invited to submit nominations via the publicly available submission form. Self-nominations are accepted. A single fund/issuer can be nominated for multiple awards as long as it meets the criteria of the category. All entries related to funds are strictly for U.S.-listed ETFs
Step 2
Following the open nominations process, the etf.com Awards Nominating Committee, made up of etf.com editorial staff, will review nominations. Nominations are screened for eligibility (appropriate timing and category). If more than five unique entries are received in the nomination process, the members of the Nominating Committee will force-rank their top five, resulting in a final slate for each category. Votes will be resolved on a majority basis, and ties broken where possible with head-to-head runoff votes. If ties cannot be broken, more than five finalists are allowed. The Nominating Committee will complete this process and short list of nominees will be published on etf.com on January 30, 2025.
Step 3
Winners among these finalists will be selected by a majority vote of the etf.com Award panel of judges, a group of independent ETF experts from the ETF industry. Judges will recuse themselves from voting in any category in which they or their firms appear as finalists. Ties will be decided where possible with head-to-head runoff votes. Voting will be complete by March 1, 2025. Results will be kept confidential until they are announced at the etf.com Awards ceremony on April 23, 2025 and published on etf.com following the live event.
2024 Awards Coverage
