Introducing The Rising 20 Awards
A DealMakers Pathfinders Initiative
The launch of The Rising 20 Awards has been a long time in the making and represents a natural evolution of the successful DealMakers Pathfinder series, which was created to provide a platform for young M&A and Capital Market professionals to build meaningful networks and develop their careers.
This new initiative is dedicated to recognising and celebrating the next generation of DealMakers. It provides firms with an opportunity to champion their rising stars while creating a prestigious benchmark for ambitious professionals to aspire to.
Nominees will be assessed by an independent panel of five judges using a structured 100-point scorecard. As these candidates are not yet partners or primary deal leads, the assessment places less emphasis on headline deal ownership and greater focus on their impact, technical excellence, career trajectory, leadership potential, and contribution to successful deal execution.
The weighted scorecard provides judges with both consistency and flexibility. Rather than selecting a single winner, the process identifies the top 20 rising professionals across corporate finance, legal, and accounting, recognising future leaders while ensuring candidates from different disciplines can be evaluated on a fair and consistent basis.
To support a robust and holistic judging process, the nomination form has been designed to capture both objective evidence - including transaction experience, roles, and professional achievements - and qualitative insights into leadership, reputation, collaboration, and future potential. As many nominees will not yet be leading transactions, the questions are specifically designed to demonstrate the influence they have within deal teams, rather than simply listing completed deals. The nomination form is therefore divided into separate sections, aligned with the judging scorecard.
The inaugural Rising 20 Awards will be held in Johannesburg on 28 October 2026, where the top 20 young M&A professionals of 2026 will be announced.
Each firm may nominate a maximum of three candidates.
The nomination fee is R3,500 excl VAT per candidate, and nominations from the industry are limited to 60 entries, which will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please book your nominations ASAP as no further nominations will be accepted after the 60 pax threshold is reached.
You can book your entries before submitting the nomination documentation.
Timeline:
• Launch: 1 July 2026
• Nominations close: 10 September 2026
• Top 30 shortlist announced: 13 October 2026
• The Rising 20 Awards: 28 October 2026
​
Find out more below:
A maximum of 60 nominations will be reviewed and accepted for each year and will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. To reserve your spot(s), please complete the booking form and return to Vanessa on reception@gleason.co.za
Wednesday 28 October 2026 | Johannesburg
The Rising 20 Awards​
EVENT SPONSORS:
The Rising 20 for 2026 will be announced at a cocktail event in Johannesburg on Wednesday 28 October 2026.
Each of The Rising 20 will be awarded with a framed certificate at the event.
A digital feature will be available on the DealMakers website and LinkedIn social media account.
The feature will include:
-
1 page profile on each of the 20 individuals
-
Independent panel commentary on the nomination and selection process
-
Industry insights on the value of mentorship and other related content.
-
​
At the ANSARADA DealMakers Annual Awards in February 2027, The Rising 20 will be acknowledged as part of the programme on the night.
The 30 nominees that make the 2nd round will qualify for a FREE ticket at the event.
These individuals will be announced on 13 October 2026.
Other guests who would like to attend to support their colleagues can also attend at a small fee.
Photos from the event will be posted on the DealMakers website, in the Q3 issue of the magazine and on the social media platforms.
To become sponsors, simply download and complete the booking form and return to Vanessa on reception@gleason.co.za