The 2025 etf.com Awards Winners
- The ETF industry celebrated another record year at Wednesday’s big event.
- The event acknowledged a year of continued growth and innovation for ETFs.
- Winners were chosen in each of 18 categories.
The 11th annual etf.com awards on Wednesday night recognized a range of exchange-traded funds in diverse categories as well as the hard work and success of key participants in our $15 trillion global industry.
Winners were named in 18 categories, from Best ETF to new categories, such as Best Leveraged/Inverse ETF and Best New Crypto ETP.
The event acknowledged a year of continued growth and innovation for ETFs, from traditional S&P 500 funds to niche areas like spot bitcoin ETFs and nuclear power thematic funds, reflecting the expanding variety of investment options available through ETFs.
Lifetime Achievement Award
The Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors one individual for outstanding long-term contributions to ETF investor outcomes, went to Rob Arnott, founder and chairman of Research Affiliates.
Often referred to as the “Godfather of Smart Beta," Arnott has pioneered several unconventional portfolio strategies that are now widely applied, including tactical asset allocation, global tactical asset allocation, tax-advantaged equity management and the fundamental index approach to investing.
ETF of the Year
Honoring the ETF that has done the most to improve investor opportunities and outcomes in 2024, the ETF of the Year went to the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO). The fund’s ultra-low expense ratio and market-cap weighting helped investors benefit most from the strongest-performing large-cap stocks driving the S&P 500’s gains last year.
VOO’s popularity with investors in 2024 enabled the fund to become the largest ETF in the world in 2025.
Best New ETF
Awarded to an ETF that launched in 2024 that demonstrated outstanding innovation or impact for investors, the Best New ETF award went to the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT). Last year, BlackRock’s IBIT achieved the most successful ETF launch in history by rapidly amassing over $50 billion in assets under management within its first 11 months.
ETF Issuer of the Year
Handed 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 2024, the ETF Issuer of the Year went to Capital Group.
Pioneering fully transparent models, Capital Group solidified its position as a leading ETF issuer in 2024 by rapidly expanding its suite of actively managed ETFs to more than 20 funds across equity, fixed income and multi-asset categories.
Best New ETF Issuer
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, the New ETF Issuer of the Year award was won by MFS Investment Management.
100 years after introducing its first US open-ended mutual fund, MFS continued its tradition of offering professional management, diversification, transparency and liquidity in 2024 with its suite of actively managed ETFs.
Best New U.S. Fixed-Income ETF
Given to an ETF launched in 2024 that has demonstrated outstanding performance, yield and innovation while investing in U.S. fixed-income assets across various fixed-income categories, the Best New U.S. Fixed-Income ETF nod went to the AB Short Duration High Yield ETF (SYFI).
The fund’s combination of an actively managed, diversified portfolio targeting short-term, high-yield global securities enabled SYFI to outperform 75% of its category peers in 2024.
Best New U.S. Equity ETF
Presented to a fund launched in 2024 that has demonstrated outstanding performance, flows, and innovation in the U.S. equity market, this award went to Eagle Capital Select Equity ETF (EAGL). EAGL seeks to identify and invest in undervalued companies with the potential for long-term, above-market returns, using a disciplined, research-driven approach. Managing a focused portfolio of 20–35 stocks across sectors from energy to artificial intelligence, EAGL can serve as a stand-alone investment or complement passive strategies through added diversification.
Best New International Equity ETF
Awarded to a fund that launched in 2024 that has demonstrated outstanding performance and innovation in the international equity market, the Best New International Equity ETF award was given to the WisdomTree India Hedged Equity Fund (INDH).
This fund quickly distinguished itself as a top-tier international equity ETF in 2024 due to its strategic combination of broad exposure to India's largest companies and a currency-hedging mechanism that mitigates fluctuations between the Indian Rupee and the U.S. Dollar.
Active ETF of the Year
This award is given to an ETF that has demonstrated exceptional expertise and success managing investments with an active, hands-on approach, including a clear and well-defined strategy that differentiates it from passive, index-based ETFs. Active ETF of the Year went to the Janus Henderson AAA CLO ETF (JAAA).
JAAA’s innovative approach to investing in collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) helped this fund gain immense popularity in 2024 as investors sought a balance of high yields and low relative interest-rate risk amid an environment of inflation and market uncertainty.
Best New Active ETF
Presented to an ETF launched in 2024 that has demonstrated exceptional expertise and success managing investments with an active, hands-on approach, including a clear and well-defined strategy that differentiates it from passive, index-based ETFs, the Best New Active ETF went to the NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF (QQQI).
This fund gained attention in 2024 due to its innovative approach of generating high monthly income and tax-efficiency through NASDAQ-100 stocks and call options.
Thematic ETF of the Year
Awarded to the most impactful thematic ETF of 2024 that created a novel product for investors, demonstrating the ability to capture important investment strategies that led to specific portfolio outcomes, the Thematic ETF of the Year went to the Range Nuclear Renaissance Index ETF (NUKZ).
Among the best-performing ETFs of 2024, NUKZ positions investors to benefit from the increasing global demand for energy and the potential expansion of nuclear power.
Commodity ETF of the Year
Presented to an ETF that has provided investors outstanding performance and success through excellent levels of liquidity and commodity tracking in 2024, while remaining cost-competitive, the Commodity ETF of the Year award went to the Invesco Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K-1 ETF (PDBC).
This fund provides innovative exposure to a broad basket of commodities without issuing K-1 tax forms, making it a tax-efficient choice for investors seeking diversification in the commodities sector.
Leveraged/Inverse ETF of the Year
Awarded to the best leveraged or inverse fund in 2024 that has demonstrated outstanding fund management, volume, competitive fee costs and best results for investors outcomes, the Leveraged/Inverse ETF of the Year went to GraniteShares 2x Long NVDA Daily ETF (NVDL).
In a year when Nvidia Corp. (NVDA)’s leadership in AI reshaped the market, NVDL enabled investors to capitalize on this trend through a simple and effective tool.
Emerging Markets ETF of the Year
Awarded to a fund that invests in either an individual or group of emerging market economies, the winner of this category is the Global X MSCI Argentina ETF (ARGT).
The first and only U.S.-listed ETF to directly target Argentine stocks, ARGT’s inception provided investors access to a top-performing emerging markets country in 2024, rising more than 60%.
Crypto ETP of the Year
This award is given to the exchange-traded product (ETP) investing in cryptocurrency or the crypto industry, delivering outstanding performance while remaining competitive on fees, and which has demonstrated innovation and impact for investors in 2024. The Crypto ETP of the Year is the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT).
Among the spot bitcoin ETFs launched in January 2024, IBIT quickly emerged as the investor favorite, attracting over $50 billion in assets, making it the most successful ETF launch to date.
Index Provider of the Year
Presented to the index provider that has done the most to improve investor outcomes in 2024 through product introductions, investor support and innovation, the Index Provider of the Year is CF Benchmarks.
This provider significantly advanced cryptocurrency market infrastructure in 2024 by developing regulated, transparent and reliable cryptocurrency indices, ensuring accurate and representative pricing.
Best New ETF Ticker
Awarded to a unique and often amusing fund name that celebrates a clever, memorable and distinctive stock symbol or ticker from a recently launched fund in 2024, the Best New ETF Ticker went to HODL, the VanEck Bitcoin ETF.
This choice of ticker is a deliberate reference to a misspelled word that was later repurposed to stand for "Hold On for Dear Life," reflecting the long-term holding philosophy prevalent among cryptocurrency investors.
Best Service Provider of the Year
Presented to a service provider that supports ETF issuers and their funds through services such as public relations, law, compliance, accounting, custodial, marketing and go-to-market solutions, the Best Service Provider of the Year was awarded to CF Benchmarks.
This provider significantly advanced cryptocurrency market infrastructure in 2024 by developing regulated, transparent and reliable cryptocurrency indices, ensuring accurate and representative pricing.
2025 etf.com Awards Sponsors
Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Clear Street, and all our supporting sponsors: AdvizorPro, CRSP, Eagle Capital Management, Fundstrat Capital, Gregory FCA, Innovator, Invesco, MSCI, NEOS, S&P Global Market Intelligence, Vanguard and Vident.
