the rockstars awards 2026

During Rockstars Valley 2026, we will once again present the Rockstars Awards! An ode to guts, impact, culture and stories that make a difference in tech. Do you know an organization, team or speaker that deserves a stage? Let’s hear from you and nominate them!

Innovator Award

Social Impact Award

Happiness Award

Theme Award: Engineering Under Pressure

Mic Drop Award

Application procedure

Jury

Saskia Nijs

Executive Human & AI | CIO - Human Workforce

Juror

Saskia Nijs is Interim CIO, founder of Humain Workforce, and has been a leading expert at the intersection of people, technology, AI, and the future of work since 2003. With over 25 years of experience at companies including Microsoft, Philips, and KLM, she is committed to a future in which robots support work, allowing people to use their talents to create more value, impact, and meaning.

Marianne Pot

Head of Data Services, Platforms & Products - ABN Amro

Juror

Marianne Pot is Head of Data Services, Platforms & Products at ABN AMRO Mortgages and works at the intersection of strategy, technology, data, and organizational development. With more than 25 years of experience in IT and digital transformation, she helps organizations implement complex changes by translating vision into concrete results. She believes that sustainable innovation arises when technological innovation and people-centered leadership go hand in hand.

Lieke Hamers

Field Chief Technology Officer - Dell Technologies

Juror

Lieke Hamers is Field Chief Technology Officer at Dell Technologies and leads the Connected Sustainable Society initiative. With more than twenty years of experience in IT, she helps organizations with digital transformation and strategic growth. She aligns technology vision with customer needs in the Netherlands and drives progress in cloud, data, and AI, while actively contributing to talent development and collaboration within the ecosystem.

Marc Heusdens

Product Manager and AI Lead - Team Rockstars IT

Juror

Marc Heusdens is a product manager and AI lead, PSPO III certified, with a background in software development and data and IoT platforms. He focuses on culture, innovation, and practical impact: helping teams collaborate more effectively, ensuring technology adds value, and translating ideas into solutions that are actually used. In 2025, he was honored with the Rockstars Happiness Award.

Tessy van Stuijvenberg

CCO - Team Rockstars IT

Jury for the preliminary selection

Tessy is CCO at Team Rockstars IT.

Simone van Erp

CPO - Team Rockstars IT

Jury for the preliminary selection

Simone is CPO at Team Rockstars IT.

Mirjam van Olst

Chief of Mastery - Team Rockstars IT

Jury for the preliminary selection

Mirjam is Chief of Mastery at Team Rockstars IT.

Submissions

HollandsNieuwe

For the launch of Internet & TV at HollandsNieuwe, an approach was chosen in which quality was integrated into the process from the design phase onward, with clear oversight of multiple systems and suppliers. This shift from post-launch testing to quality as a driving force enabled a controlled go-live and accelerated further development.

Essent

To replace a legacy identity platform, the team opted for an approach in which millions of users were migrated in phases using a “lazy migration” strategy, without impacting the user experience. By redesigning the identity system using an event-driven architecture and Domain-Driven Design, the team created a scalable, secure, and future-proof platform.

ASML

To improve software development at ASML, a solution has been developed that automatically checks written code against architectural guidelines and quality standards. By integrating architectural checks directly into the development process, developers receive immediate feedback, making it easier to ensure consistent, future-proof software development.

Q CONSULT INSURANCE

While traditional AI solutions focus primarily on automation, Savi helps professionals maintain their focus on the conversation and the person behind the case file. Conversations are automatically converted into verifiable reports, while the professional remains responsible for the final assessment. In this way, Savi delivers demonstrable time savings, higher-quality reporting, and a scalable approach to the responsible use of AI within a complex and privacy-sensitive sector.

faq

Yes, participation in the Rockstars Awards is free of charge. You can submit your project without obligation using the form.

Yes, you may submit multiple projects, as long as each project is submitted separately and fits within the award criteria.

Yes, for a maximum of two awards. If your project is relevant to multiple categories, you can submit it for multiple awards. The judges will evaluate the appropriateness of the project for each category.

We understand that projects may contain sensitive information. Therefore, only share information that may be shared externally.
Upon selection, we always coordinate any publication or presentation so that confidential details remain protected.

Yes, international projects are welcome, as long as they are relevant to the IT community and fit within the award criteria.

The submission may be in Dutch or English.

We use submissions solely for the purposes of the Rockstars Awards.
Nominated and winning projects may be used (by agreement) for communications, such as case studies, content or promotion. Unsuccessful submissions will not be actively shared.

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