Celebrating ETF Achievements
The 8th Annual ETF.com Awards took place on April 20, 2021 at The Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles. You can watch a full replay of the event, and you can also check out some of the evening’s highlights below, including interviews with Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, Cathie Wood, Reggie Browne and Matt Hougan.
On-Demand Viewing
TYLER & CAMERON WINKLEVOSS ON CRYPTO REVOLUTION
CATHIE WOOD ON STATE OF ETF ACTIVE MANAGEMENT
A SITDOWN WITH 2019 ETF.COM LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT WINNER REGGIE BROWNE
2020 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT WINNER MATT HOUGAN ON ETF-TO-BITCOIN JOURNEY
Marquee Sponsor
Awarded ETF.com's "ETF Issuer of the Year - 2019"*, Innovator Capital Management LLC (Innovator) is an SEC-registered investment advisor (RIA) based in Wheaton, IL. Formed in 2014, the firm is currently headed by ETF visionaries Bruce Bond and John Southard, founders of PowerShares ETFs, the 4th largest ETF providers in the world.
Innovator’s category-creating Defined Outcome ETF™ family includes Buffer ETFs™, Accelerated ETFs™, Stacker ETFs™ and Floor ETFs.
Built on a foundation of innovation and driven by a commitment to help investors better control their financial outcomes, Innovator is leading the Defined Outcome ETF Revolution™. For additional information, visit www.innovatoretfs.com.
Sponsors
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. Interested parties are invited to submit nominations via the publicly available survey form. Self-nominations are accepted. Nominators may nominate in as many categories as they like. You cannot win if you are not nominated, and no nominations will be accepted after the deadline. There are no exceptions to these rules.
Step 2
Following the open nominations process, the ETF.com Awards Nominating Committee—made up of ETF.com editorial staff—reviews 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 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 nominees will be published on ETF.com.
Step 3
Winners among these finalists will be selected by a majority vote of the ETF.com Awards Selection Committee, a group of independent ETF experts from throughout the ETF community. Committee members 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. Results will be kept confidential until they are announced at the ETF.com Awards.
Award Categories for 2020
*Winner
1. Lifetime Achievement
Awarded annually to one living individual for outstanding long-term contributions to ETF investor outcomes, whether from a position of media, regulation, product provider, investor or other category. Note: Previous winners are not eligible.
• Eric Balchunas (Bloomberg)
• Bruce Bond (Innovator)
• Matt Hougan (Bitwise)*
• Burton Malkiel (Wealthfront)
• Jan Van Eck (VanEck)
2. ETF of the Year
Awarded to the ETF that has done the most to improve investor opportunities and outcomes in 2020, by providing access to interesting areas of the market, lowering costs, delivering new exposures or otherwise creating better results for investors. Note: There is no requirement for this award regarding when this fund was launched.
• Amplify Online Retail ETF (IBUY)
• ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK)*
• Direxion Work From Home ETF (WFH)
• Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ)
• Invesco Solar ETF (TAN)
3. Best New ETF
Awarded to the most important ETF launched in 2020.Note: Importance is measured by the overall contribution to positive investor outcomes. The award may recognize ETFs that open new areas of the market, lower costs, drive risk-adjusted performance or provide innovative exposures not previously available to most investors. Only ETFs with inception dates after Dec. 31, 2017 were eligible.
• Direxion Work From Home ETF (WFH)
• Invesco NASDAQ Next Gen 100 ETF (QQQJ)*
• iShares US Small Cap Value Factor ETF (SVAL)
• Roundhill Sports Betting & iGaming ETF (BETZ)
• Vanguard ESG U.S. Corporate Bond ETF (VCEB)
4. Best New U.S. Equity ETF
Awarded to the most groundbreaking and disruptive ETF launched in 2020. This is an ETF that is pushing the envelope in terms of what kinds of exposures can be packaged into an ETF. Only ETFs with inception dates after Dec. 31, 2019 were eligible.
• Defiance Next Gen SPAC Derived ETF (SPAK)
• Dimensional U.S. Core Equity Market ETF (DFAU)
• Direxion Work From Home ETF (WFH)
• Invesco NASDAQ Next Gen 100 ETF (QQQJ)*
• iShares US Small Cap Value Factor ETF (SVAL)
5. Best New International/Global Equity ETF
Awarded to the most important international or global equity ETF launched in 2018. Note: Importance is measured by the overall contribution to positive investor outcomes. The award may recognize ETFs that open new areas of the market, lower costs, drive risk-adjusted performance or provide innovative exposures not previously available to most investors. Only ETFs with inception dates after Dec. 31, 2019 were eligible. ETF must be classified by FactSet as an Equity ETF, but not a U.S.-focused Equity ETF, to qualify.
• BNY Mellon International Equity ETF (BKIE)
• Dimensional International Core Equity Market ETF (DFAI)*
• Innovator MSCI EAFE Power Buffer ETF – January (IJAN)
• iShares ESG MSCI EM Leaders ETF (LDEM)
• KraneShares CICC China 5G & Semiconductor Index ETF (KFVG)
6. Best New U.S. Fixed Income ETF
Awarded to the most important fixed-income ETF launched in 2018. Note: Importance is measured by the overall contribution to positive investor outcomes. The award may recognize ETFs that open new areas of the market, lower costs, drive risk-adjusted performance or provide innovative exposures not previously available to most investors. Only ETFs with inception dates after Dec. 31, 2019 were eligible. ETF must be classified by FactSet as a U.S. Fixed-Income ETF to qualify.
• Goldman Sachs Access U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (GCOR)
• Innovator 20+ Year Treasury Bond 5 Floor ETF – July (TFJL)
• Janus Henderson AAA CLO ETF (JAAA)
• SoFi Weekly Income ETF (TGIF)
• Vanguard ESG U.S. Corporate Bond ETF (VCEB)*
7. Best New International/Global Fixed Income ETF
Awarded to the most important international or global fixed-income ETF launched in 2020. Note: Importance is measured by the overall contribution to positive investor outcomes. The award may recognize ETFs that open new areas of the market, lower costs, drive risk-adjusted performance or provide innovative exposures not previously available to most investors. Only ETFs with inception dates after Dec. 31, 2019 were eligible. ETF must be classified by FactSet as a Fixed Income ETF, but not a U.S.-focused Fixed Income ETF, to qualify.
• Avantis Core Fixed Income ETF (AVIG)
• Franklin Liberty Ultra Short Bond ETF (FLUD)
• Global X Emerging Markets Bond ETF (EMBD)*
• Hartford Core Bond ETF (HCRB)
8. Best New ESG ETF
Awarded to the most important ESG ETF launched in 2020. Note: Importance is measured by the overall contribution to positive investor outcomes. The award may recognize ETFs that open new areas of the market, lower costs, drive risk-adjusted performance or provide innovative exposures not previously available to most investors. Only ETFs with inception dates after Dec. 31, 2019 were eligible.
• iShares ESG MSCI EM Leaders ETF (LDEM)
• JPMorgan Carbon Transition U.S. Equity ETF (JCTR)
• TrueShares ESG Active Opportunities ETF (ECOZ)*
• Vanguard ESG U.S. Corporate Bond ETF (VCEB)
• VictoryShares Top Veteran Employers ETF (VTRN)
9. Best New Smart-Beta or Factor ETF
Awarded to the most important new ETF launched in 2020, regardless of asset class, that uses a quantitative, research-driven approach to attempt to deliver superior long-term risk-adjusted returns. Note: Importance is measured by the overall contribution to positive investor outcomes. The award may recognize ETFs that open new areas of the market, lower costs, drive risk-adjusted performance or provide innovative exposures not previously available to most investors. Only ETFs with inception dates after Dec. 31, 2019 were eligible. ETF must be classified as a Smart-Beta strategy by FactSet to qualify. (Please note: Despite the FactSet categorization, currency-hedged exposures do not qualify.)
• Direxion Fallen Knives ETF (NIFE)
• iShares US Small Cap Value Factor ETF (SVAL)*
• Pacer Lunt Large Cap Multi-Factor Alternator ETF (PALC)
• Syntax Stratified SmallCap ETF (SSLY)
• VanEck Vectors Moody's Analytics IG Corporate Bond ETF (MIG)
10. Best New Active ETF
Awarded to the most important new actively managed ETF launched in 2020, regardless of asset class. Note: Importance is measured by the overall contribution to positive investor outcomes. The award may recognize ETFs that open new areas of the market, lower costs, drive risk-adjusted performance or provide innovative exposures not previously available to most investors. Only ETFs with inception dates after Dec. 31, 2019 were eligible. ETF must be classified as “Active per SEC” by FactSet to qualify.
• American Century Focused Dynamic Growth ETF (FDG)*
• Dimensional U.S. Core Equity Market ETF (DFAU)
• Fidelity Blue Chip Growth ETF (FBCG)
• Innovator Double Stacker 9 Buffer ETF – October (DBOC)
• Janus Henderson AAA CLO ETF (JAAA)
11. Best Thematic ETF of the Year
Awarded to the most important “thematic” ETF of 2020, as measured by its ability to capture important macro plays that can lead to specific portfolio outcomes. Note: There is no requirement for this award regarding when this fund was launched.
• Amplify Online Retail ETF (IBUY)
• ARK Genomic Revolution ETF (ARKG)
• ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK)
• Global X Telemedicine & Digital Health ETF (EDOC)*
• Roundhill Sports Betting & iGaming ETF (BETZ)
12. New ETF Ticker of the Year
Awarded to the ETF with the best new ETF ticker. The ETF must have launched in 2020 to qualify.
• Roundhill Sports Betting & iGaming ETF (BETZ)
• Direxion Fallen Knives ETF (NIFE)
• Defiance Next Gen SPAC Derived ETF (SPAK)
• SoFi Weekly Income ETF (TGIF)*
• Direxion Work From Home ETF (WFH)
13. ETF Issuer of the Year
Awarded to the ETF issuer that has done the most to improve investor outcomes through product introductions, product performance, fund management, asset gathering, investor support and innovation in 2020.
• ARK*
• Direxion
• Global X
• Innovator ETFs
• The Vanguard Group
14. New ETF Issuer of the Year
Awarded to the new ETF issuer that has done the most to improve investor outcomes through product introductions, product performance, fund management, investor support and innovation. Issuer must have launched its first ETF in 2020. ETF.com considers “issuer” to mean the “brand” of the ETF, as classified by FactSet.
• 6 Meridian
• Bank of New York Mellon
• Dimensional Fund Advisors*
• TrueShares
15. Index Provider of the Year
Awarded to the index provider that has done the most to improve investor outcomes through index introductions, research, advisor support and more in 2020.
• BlackRock
• MSCI*
• NASDAQ
• S&P Dow Jones
• Solactive
16. Best New Index of the Year
Awarded to the index that has done the most to provide new ways of considering investment strategies, opportunities or ideas in 2020.
• Indxx SPAC & NextGen IPO Index
• NASDAQ Next Generation 100 Index*
• SectorSurfer Momentum Index
• Solactive Remote Work Index
• Wilshire Gold Index