2025 CRN Best of the Channel Awards: The Winners

by Rick Whiting, CRN

CRN gathered some of the IT channel's top executives Tuesday night in Atlanta to honor the winners of the inaugural Best of the Channel Awards.

At a ceremony held in the Egyptian Ballroom at the iconic Fox Theatre, CRN and parent The Channel Company recognized some of the channel's most remarkable leaders for the role they play in advancing the IT channel.

Over the course of the evening, CRN handed out trophies in 12 categories to individuals, teams and companies, part of a months-long process that included two rounds of judging and culminated with the 2025 Best of the Channel Awards Gala event.

The evening also included the naming of the Best of the Channel Lifetime Achievement Award winner.

A group of CRN editors judged the first round to determine a list of finalists. In the second round, CRN editorial staff were joined by members of the IT channel industry as judges to determine the winners.

Here's a look at the winners of the 2025 CRN Best of the Channel Awards.

Jim Kavanaugh, World Wide Technology

Under his steady hand, WWT has evolved over the last 35 years into a $20 billion global powerhouse that sets the standard for technology acumen and vision.

He continues to position the company for success in the AI era with the blockbuster acquisition of Softchoice. The relationships he has built with the industry's biggest vendors, such as Cisco, Dell, HPE and NVIDIA, not only have spurred WWT's success but have influenced how those companies work with channel partners across the industry.

And he has built a people-first organization that is led by a culture of inclusion and accountability, all while fostering a strong philanthropic focus that he personally models.

Kavanaugh accepted the award from CRN's Jennifer Follett.

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2025 CRN Best of the Channel Awards!