Nominations for Annual Techs Rock Awards Open June 24

TechForce Foundation partnered with the SEMA Show to present the 7th Annual Techs Rock Awards live on stage at the 2025 SEMA Show in Las Vegas for the first time. 

Each year, the Techs Rock Awards recognize standout students and working professionals in the technician field. This year marks a major milestone. Honorees and Grand Prize recipients will celebrate live at the SEMA Show in front of thousands of manufacturers, employers, educators, and media on November 5. The nation’s top technicians will receive the recognition they earned through their skill, dedication, and impact. 

Finalists will be selected in six categories: Automotive and Motorsports, Diesel, Collision, Restoration, and Welding, Aviation Motorcycle and Marine, and Evolving Technologies and HVAC.

This year’s judging panel will include well-known voices in the industry, including ChrisFix, YouTube’s most-followed automotive DIY creator, and Humble Mechanic, a trusted voice in technician education and culture. 

Technicians are the workforce behind every vehicle on the road, every aircraft in the sky, and every delivery that reaches its destination. These careers are essential to our economy, but they are often overlooked. 

“Technicians don’t just fix things. They keep America moving,” said Jennifer Maher, CEO of TechForce Foundation. “The SEMA Show gives us a national platform to say, ‘We see you. We value you.’ And for the students preparing to join the workforce, it shows there is a future in this field that is respected and real.” 

Nominations open June 24 and close August 11. A panel of judges will review submissions and select the finalists. From September 24 through October 15, the public will vote to determine one student and one working technician as Grand Prize Winners. Both will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas to be honored on stage during the show. 

Since 2018, the Techs Rock Awards have recognized 77 outstanding students and technicians. The program highlights the value of technical careers and helps lift up role models who are shaping the future of the skilled trades. 

To submit a nomination, visit the TechForce website here.