NACTOY Announces Competitors for 2026 Awards and a Special Automotive Scholarship Program

DETROIT, Sept. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today offered an opportunity to honor the best new vehicles on the market this year while also helping build a future for the automotive industry and the journalists who cover it.

As they revealed "The Best of 2026: The vehicles that will compete for the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year awards,” the NACTOY board also announced a new $100,000 gift to the SAE Foundation to fund a scholarship for college students seeking careers in the automotive and journalism fields.

"While our 50 automotive journalists delight in honoring the best vehicles of a new model year, it's also important to leave a lasting legacy," said NACTOY President Jeff Gilbert, Automotive Reporter at WWJ Newsradio 950. "We have made contributions to several charities since our founding, but our mission is to promote automotive journalism, and this scholarship will help fulfill that mission."

The scholarship was developed by a special committee of NACTOY jurors led by longtime Detroit-area journalist Joann Muller of Axios. Organizers of the Detroit Auto Show have also made a substantial contribution to help fund the scholarship.

"Over the years, the Detroit Auto Dealers Association has worked with NACTOY to contribute tens of thousands of dollars to charitable efforts. They have been great supporters of our award and great partners," said Gilbert.

The SAE NACTOY Automotive Journalism, Design, and Engineering Innovation Scholarships will launch in the 2026-27 school year. They are administered by SAE International, which will award two scholarships annually – one to an automotive journalism student and one to an automotive design and engineering student. Interested applicants should visit the SAE International website for more information.

“The SAE Foundation is so grateful to NACTOY for their generous gift to support the creation of this scholarship fund,” said Jamie Ferguson, Executive Director of the SAE Foundation. “We are thrilled to launch this scholarship, which will benefit two outstanding students each year as they embark on their journeys in automotive design and automotive journalism. These scholarships provide critical support for students to pursue their dreams, helping them build the skills and experience needed to succeed in their careers.”

Muller added, "As we studied the options for how to administer our planned scholarship, we found an excellent partner in SAE, which already manages educational programs and student scholarships through its SAE Foundation. They are a trusted organization that shares our goal of providing opportunities for young people with an interest in the automotive industry."

The scholarship and “Best of 2026” list were announced at the Center for Automotive Research’s Management Briefing Seminars event, in its inaugural year at Michigan Central Station in Detroit. The “Best of 2026” list includes six cars, five trucks and nineteen utility vehicles. NACTOY jurors will drive these vehicles back-to-back at a special event in late October. Three finalists will be announced in each category at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and the winners will be announced on January 14, 2026, to open the Detroit Auto Show.

Spanish and French versions of this release are available on NACTOY’s website. A media kit with b-roll of the vehicles is available at this link.

About North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicle of the Year™
The awards are intended to recognize the most outstanding new vehicles of the year. These vehicles are benchmarks in their segments based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction, user experience and value. The organization gives out three awards. They are: “North American Car of the Year™,” “North American Truck of the Year™” and “North American Utility Vehicle of the Year™.” The awards are unique because they are given by an independent jury of automotive journalists from the United States and Canada instead of by a single publication, website, radio or television station. For more information about NACTOY and its history: http://northamericancaroftheyear.org.

About SAE Foundation
The mission of the SAE Foundation is to increase student achievement and participation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to build a STEM-fluent workforce. Funds raised by the SAE Foundation support SAE International’s award-winning A World In Motion^® (AWIM) program, Collegiate Design Series™ (CDS), awards and scholarships. SAE’s STEM education programs enable students to develop the 21st century skills needed to succeed in real-world work environments and connect classroom learning with real-life application. SAE’s STEM programs have reached more than 6 million students worldwide and engaged more than 30,000 STEM industry professionals as volunteers. Get involved today http://www.saefoundation.org.

About SAE International^®
SAE International^® is a global organization committed to advancing mobility knowledge and solutions for the benefit of humanity. By engaging nearly 200,000 engineers, technical experts and volunteers, we connect and educate mobility professionals to enable safe, clean, and accessible mobility solutions. We act on two priorities: encouraging a lifetime of learning for mobility engineering professionals and setting the standards for industry engineering. We strive for a better world through the work of our philanthropic SAE Foundation, including award-winning programs like A World In Motion^® and the Collegiate Design Series™. Learn more at http://www.sae.org.

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