The TOA Awards 2026 – The 100 Most Influential Turkish Americans has announced this year’s honorees, highlighting individuals who have made significant contributions across a wide range of fields in the United States.
According to the organizers, the selection process lasted more than six months and involved 23 jury members and a 16-member Selection Committee. At the end of the evaluation process, 100 individuals across 24 categories were selected for the 2026 awards.
The list reflects the increasingly diverse presence of the Turkish and Turkish-American community in the United States, bringing together Nobel Prize-winning scientists, globally recognized academics, founders and executives, technology leaders, artists, media personalities, public officials and professional athletes.
1. Arts & Culture
Four individuals were selected in the Arts & Culture category:
Gizem Salcigil White, Refik Anadol, Barbaros Tapan and Emre Sahin.
Internationally acclaimed media artist Refik Anadol, known for his large-scale data-driven and AI-based artworks, is among the most recognizable names in the category.
2. Business & Entrepreneurship
Seven individuals were recognized for their achievements in business and entrepreneurship:
Selin Kurnaz, Bulent Basol, Selcuk Atli, Evren Ozkaya, Ismail Alptekin, Ramazan Patak and Ayla Annac.
3. CEO & Founders
One of the largest categories on the list brings together founders and executives who have built and led companies in the United States and internationally:
Fatih Ozmen, Hamdi Ulukaya, Eren Ozmen, Eren Bali, Osman Kibar, Magdalena Yesil, Oguzhan Atay, Murat Ozgener, Aydin Senkut, Ahmet Okumus, Tumay Basaranlar, Varol Ablak and Emre Imamoglu.
Among the best-known figures are Hamdi Ulukaya, founder and CEO of Chobani; Fatih and Eren Ozmen, the leaders of Sierra Nevada Corporation; and Eren Bali, co-founder of Udemy.
4. Community Leadership
Three individuals were honored for their contributions to community leadership:
Hulya Koc, Huseyin Bayram and Vega Sankur.
5. CTO & CIO
The technology leadership category includes:
Dr. Selda Gunsel, Tolga Kurtoglu and Murat Genc.
6. Cultural Heritage
Deniz Beyazit was selected in the Cultural Heritage category.
7. Lifetime Achievement
One of the most prestigious honors of TOA Awards 2026 went to Nobel Prize-winning Turkish scientist Prof. Dr. Aziz Sancar.
Sancar, who received the 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on DNA repair mechanisms, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his decades-long contribution to science.
8. Finance & Banking
Two individuals were recognized in Finance & Banking:
Melis Kahya Akar and Gokcen Aygenc.
9. Hospitality Excellence
The Hospitality Excellence category includes:
Zach Erdem, Burak Karacam and Hakki Akdeniz.
10. Hospitality & Tourism
Four individuals were recognized for their work in hospitality and tourism:
Gul Goknar Turkmenoglu, Suzan Toprak, A. Cem Erenler and Cihan Yilmaz.
11. Law Enforcement
Two Turkish-American professionals working in law enforcement were selected:
Yakup Zoklu and Yesim Karaman.
12. Legal Advisory & Corporate Law
Four individuals were honored in the legal field:
Fejir Ugurlu, Barbaros Karaahmet, Aydin S. Caginalp and Omer Er.
13. Media
Three prominent media personalities were included:
Arda Ocal, Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker.
The category reflects the growing visibility of Turkish-origin figures across traditional broadcasting, digital media and online streaming platforms in the United States.
14. Policy, Government & Public Administration
Four figures were recognized for their work in politics, government and public administration:
Dr. Mehmet Oz, Tayfun Selen, Seval Oz and Didem Nisanci.
The category highlights the presence of Turkish-American professionals in government, policy and public service in the United States.
15. Professional Excellence
Ten individuals were selected for outstanding professional achievements across different industries:
Pinar Kip Williamson, Selim Batibay, Goksu Yolac, Ulku Rowe, Hande Aksoy, Solita Marcelli, Turgut Kisinbay, Serhan Secmen, Haldun Dinccetin and Gizem Ozturk.
16. Real Estate Investment & Developers
The real estate category includes:
Ersal Ozdemir, Izak Senbahar, Yusuf Ceylan, Erol Devli and Fehmi Karahan.
17. Science, Research & Academia
Science, research and academia emerged as one of the strongest and most prominent categories of the 2026 list.
The 14 honorees are:
Daron Acemoglu, Gokhan Hotamisligil, Dani Rodrik, Canan Dagdeviren, Aydogan Ozcan, Mehmet Toner, Ivet Bahar, Feryal Ozel, Ali Erdemir, Asuman Ozdaglar, Bilge Yildiz, Murat Gunel, Engin Kirda and Selcuk Sirin.
The category brings together internationally recognized scholars working across economics, medicine, engineering, astrophysics, technology and social sciences.
Among them is Daron Acemoglu, who was awarded the 2024 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, alongside Simon Johnson and James A. Robinson.
Other internationally prominent names include Harvard professors Gokhan Hotamisligil and Dani Rodrik, MIT researcher Canan Dagdeviren, astrophysicist Feryal Ozel, engineer Aydogan Ozcan and MIT professor Asuman Ozdaglar.
18. Sports & Athletic
NBA star Alperen Sengun was selected as the honoree in the Sports & Athletic category.
Sengun has emerged as one of the most prominent Turkish athletes competing in the United States and has established himself as a leading player in the NBA.
19. Technology & Futures
Three individuals were recognized for their contributions to technology and emerging industries:
Aylin Uysal, Egemen Tas and Hande Cilingir.
20. Women in Business
Three women were honored for their achievements in business and entrepreneurship:
Derya Taskin, Neslihan Hidirligil and Kerime Ataker.
21. Healthcare & Medicine
The Healthcare & Medicine category includes:
Kemal Erkan and Arda Ural.
22. Nonprofit & Philanthropy Leader
Two individuals were recognized for their leadership in nonprofit organizations and philanthropy:
Mehmet L. Kirdar and Halil Ibrahim Demir.
23. Performing Arts
Two prominent names from the world of music and performing arts were selected:
Fahir Atakoglu and Pinar Toprak.
Toprak has established an international career as a composer in Hollywood, while Atakoglu has maintained a long-standing music career spanning Türkiye and the United States.
24. Under 30
TOA Awards also highlighted a new generation of Turkish and Turkish-American professionals through its Under 30 category.
The four honorees are:
Ali Sarilgan, Tugce Ergul, Anya Ozmen and Lara Ozkan.
The category is intended to recognize emerging young professionals alongside the more established scientists, entrepreneurs and executives featured throughout the main list.
Special awards announced outside the Top 100
In addition to the 100 honorees selected by the jury, TOA Awards is presenting a separate group of recognitions under the TOA Founders’ Recognition Awards.
The special honorees include:
Ali Berke Ayazli, Ali Riza Dogan, Can Kamiloglu, Deniz Celik, Dincer Ocak, Emre Ugurlu, Fatih Derbazlar, Hakan Inan, Hakan Karalok, Ibrahim Yazici, Mustafa Tuncer, Orhan Genceli, Emin Onur Genc, Serdar Ali Celikler, Serdar Ilhan and Ziya Keskin.
These recognitions are separate from the jury-selected list of 100 honorees.
Among them, Turkish entrepreneur Mustafa Tuncer was selected to receive the Transatlantic Entrepreneurship Award, recognizing his long-standing entrepreneurial activities connecting Türkiye and the United States.
Awards ceremony to be held in New Jersey on November 17
The TOA Awards 2026 ceremony is scheduled for November 17, 2026, at The Venetian in New Jersey, where the honorees are expected to receive their awards.
TOA Awards founder Cemil Ozyurt has emphasized the broader mission of the initiative: documenting and increasing the visibility of the achievements of Turks and Turkish Americans in the United States while providing inspiration for future generations.
From Aziz Sancar and Daron Acemoglu in science and academia to Hamdi Ulukaya in business, Refik Anadol in arts and technology and Alperen Sengun in professional sports, the 2026 list illustrates the breadth of Turkish influence across American society.
With 100 honorees representing 24 categories, TOA Awards 2026 offers a broad snapshot of a Turkish-American community whose influence now extends across science, business, technology, culture, media, public service, healthcare and professional sports.
