2025 SEMA SHOW AWARDS
January/February 2026
2025
SEMA SHOW
AWARDS
CELEBRATING THE INDUSTRY’S BEST OF THE BEST IN LAS VEGAS
BY MICHAEL IMLAY
The SEMA Show represents many things to exhibitors, attendees and media. It’s about business connections; eye-popping vehicle builds and activations; new ideas; demonstrations; and education. But most of all, the Show is about people: passionate individuals whose talent, dedication and innovation make the specialty-equipment industry the exciting $327-billion powerhouse that it is.
There are, of course, standouts among the crowd—those who create smart new products, build spectacular project vehicles and raise the bar for trade professionals through their service and achievements. Throughout Show Week, SEMA spotlights such individuals through a series of awards programs. The following pages recap the Show’s numerous awardees, from those announced at the Industry Honors ceremonies, Thursday night, November 6, to the many other awards bestowed throughout SEMA Week.
“SEMA proudly congratulates all our 2025 SEMA Show awards recipients,” said SEMA CEO Mike Spagnola. “Their dedication to excellence, their innovation and their passion for the industry underscore everything that our association stands for, and we were pleased to highlight their significant contributions to the specialty automotive sector at the 2025 SEMA Show.”
SEMA INDUSTRY HONORS CEREMONIES
The high point for SEMA Week awards was the SEMA Industry Honors event at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, Thursday night, November 6, a completely new awards-style extravaganza held in the venue’s BleauLive Theater. Actor and filmmaker Sung Kang (right) emceed the event for a sold-out audience.
(A lifelong car enthusiast himself, Kang is best known for his portrayal of Han in “The Fast & The Furious” franchise.) The 2025 ceremonies—which replaced the Show’s traditional awards banquet—featured opening remarks by SEMA Chair of the Board Melanie White and SEMA CEO Mike Spagnola, along with nods to SEMA’s recent Hall of Fame inductees Luanne Brown, George Lathouris, John McLeod and Larry Pacey.
From there, the festivities continued with several other high association honors, culminating in the announcement of the 2025 SEMA Person of the Year and a musical after-party.
CHAIR SERVICE AWARD: WADE KAWASAKI
Bestowed at the discretion of the SEMA Chair of the Board, the Chair Service Award recognizes outstanding service to the association and the industry. SEMA Chair Melanie White (left) presented the award to former SEMA Chairman of the Board Wade Kawasaki, whose contributions to SEMA span many years.
“His leadership has made a lasting impact on our industry,” noted White. “Most recently, his support and guidance with SEMA PAC have been instrumental in advancing our advocacy efforts… His commitment to our community and his passion for the automotive aftermarket continue to inspire us all.”
CONTENT CREATOR OF THE YEAR: WESTEN CHAMPLIN
The SEMA Content Creator of the Year Award celebrates a content creator’s exceptional dedication to the enrichment of automotive culture. As the recipient of the 2025 award, Westen Champlin (center) has significantly shaped a vibrant community while fostering a positive environment among automotive enthusiasts. Garnering more than 4 million subscribers on YouTube, 3.8 million followers on TikTok, 2.5 million followers on Instagram and 3.3 million followers on Facebook, his creative efforts on social media have not only elevated the discourse around automotive passions but have inspired a deeper appreciation for the art and innovation to be found within the industry.
GEN-III INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR: ANDRIUS LIŠKUS
The SEMA Gen-III Award recognizes individuals age 40 and younger who demonstrate exceptional innovation within the automotive aftermarket. The award criteria encompasses breakthrough contributions to such areas as technology, business practices and industry trends. Andrius Liškus received the 2025 honors for his revolutionary Electromagnetic (EMA) Damper Test System, which makes advanced damper testing more accessible to race teams, independent developers and workshops. In effect, his solution removes one of the industry’s greatest technical limitations, opening the door to a new generation of agile, high-performance suspension development.
SEMA PERSON OF THE YEAR: DEAN CASE
Among the association’s most prestigious honors, the SEMA Person of the Year Award went to Dean Case (bottom left), communications consultant at Motivo, in recognition of his exceptional volunteerism and service to the specialty automotive industry. Following longstanding tradition, Case received his award from 2024 Person of the Year Colby McLaughlin (bottom right). Serving on SEMA’s Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN), Case has been an unwavering advocate for industry innovation, dedicating himself to bridging the gap between the aftermarket industry and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) community. Last year, he was instrumental in organizing an SAE event at the SEMA Garage to advance connections between industry thinkers, a wide range of experts, and students and educators. He is also known as tireless in his efforts to secure a strong future for the industry. Case will be profiled in the upcoming March/April issue of SEMA magazine.
SEMA SHOW KICKOFF BREAKFAST
The 2025 SEMA Show got off to a rousing start Tuesday, November 4, with the annual Show Kickoff Breakfast featuring the top New Product Award winners across multiple categories (see p. 52). “Voice of Formula D” Jarod DeAnda emceed the event, which also featured informative discussions with Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Stellantis Head of American Brands Tim Kuniskis and comedian and car collector Jay Leno.
MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR: COBB TUNING
When addressed with the challenge of manufacturing 15 new intercooler designs in short order due to original equipment (OE) redesigns, Cobb Tuning implemented a rapid-response model to manufacturing that enabled them to turn around tooling and get machines running on new products within a business day, all in-house.
The solution—which has since been rolled out on other product lines—has allowed Cobb to create better components to meet its quality-control needs more easily, faster and with less cost and waste at every step of the process.
CHANNEL PARTNER OF THE YEAR: THE AAM GROUP
As a warehouse distribution group, AAM Group pursues a unique mission: uniting distributors, suppliers and partner shops under one purpose. Its slogan “One League, One Mission,” reflects AAM’s belief in helping these diverse businesses to achieve the common goal of growing the entire specialty-equipment industry.
A catalyst for brand growth and channel success, The AAM Group holds frequent training sessions with its brand partners to identify product features and benefits, while also ensuring their team understands the business models, context and needs of many types of SEMA channel partners and how to serve them.
Moreover, AAM is a leader in product data enhancement and works with partners to extend that expertise beyond its own operations. The group also delivers superior product marketing, reaching more than 17,000 jobber contacts each week with industry and product news presentations.
NOTABLE SHOW WEEK AWARDS
After the Kickoff Breakfast, SEMA and its many industry councils and networks continued honoring achievement with numerous awards presented on multiple stages across the Show floor. The following are some of week’s prominent honorees.
BEST ENGINEERED VEHICLE:
KUHNHAUSEN “SERIOUS66” CORVETTE
The annual Best Engineered Vehicle Award recognizes a featured Show vehicle demonstrating exceptional engineering throughout or an innovative vehicle aspect that goes far beyond physical appearance. The award seeks to inspire more engineers to enter the specialty-equipment field. The 2025 award went to the Kuhnhausen Metal Concepts’ ‘66 Chevrolet “Serious66” Corvette —a vehicle that also made the Top 12 list in the 2025 SEMA Battle of the Builders Presented by Mothers Polish competition. According to Kyle Kuhnhausen, owner, Kuhnhausen Metal Concepts, the Corvette was designed to “merge American heritage with European refinement in a one-of-a-kind creation.”
SEMA BATTLE OF THE BUILDERS (BOTB) PRESENTED BY MOTHERS POLISH: TROY TREPANIER, ’36 FORD ROADSTER
Completed in January of 2025 and winner of the Grand National Roadster Show America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Award, Troy Trepanier’s 2025 BOTB entry was a completely scratch-built vehicle resembling a ’36 roadster, with all the dimensions changed for proper proportions as an open-wheel car. Rad Rides by Troy made the body, chassis, suspension and all machined parts in-house, as well as all the body, paint and interior work. The ’36 roadster features a supercharged Ford 312ci Y-block engine, a quick-change rear axle and full torsion-bar suspension. It’s Trepanier’s second BOTB overall win, having also taken the trophy in 2017. The competition’s top four 2025 finalists included Tim Franklin (’60 Porsche Custom 356), Thomas Dickerson (’67 Chevrolet C10) and Ron Jones (’73 Volkswagen Thing). Trepanier will be featured in an upcoming issue of SEMA magazine.
VISIONARY 8: MULTIPLE RECIPIENTS
The SEMA Visionary 8 awards honor eight young professionals aged 35 and under who are already impacting the industry and advancing the specialty automotive market. Criteria for the awards include active industry involvement and the demonstrated talent, innovation, integrity, success and leadership necessary to become an industry driver.
“This year’s SEMA Visionary 8 have a work ethic and passion for the industry that is truly inspiring,” said Joe Escobar, SEMA manager of recognition programs. “We’re proud to celebrate their accomplishments and thank them for their energy and fresh perspective that has elevated the aftermarket for the better.”
Recipients from left to right are Anna Glennon, senior account executive, Kahn Media; Jose Acevedo, owner, Ace Graphix; Ryan Rutledge, director of innovation, Air Lift Company; Adi Bathla, CEO and co-founder, Revv; Emma Sauve, creative director, Mobsteel; Jack Reusch, head coach, Texas Drift Academy; Payton Matlock, OEM specialist, Transfer Flow; Kasey Saltness, event and engagement specialist, QA1.
THE SEMA PRO CUP CHALLENGE: AUTOMOTIVE CONCEPTS
Automotive Concepts (top left), a Minneapolis-based restyler, won the 2025 SEMA PRO Cup Challenge for its accessorized ’25 Ford F-150 SuperCrew restyling package. Presented by the SEMA Professional Restyler Organization (PRO) council, the competition shines a light on new-vehicle accessorization by challenging U.S. restylers to create an accessory package for an OEM new-model vehicle.
The Automotive Concepts SuperCrew showcased golden anniversary graphics celebrating 50 years of the iconic model. Built around the theme “Black Label,” a term typically reserved for the pinnacle of its kind, the truck offered a fresh take on a concept never explored in the restyling space. The “5.0” badging paid homage to the powerful 5.0 Coyote engine under the hood, further emphasizing the vehicle’s performance pedigree. Pictured with the award is Nick Stanley of Champion Auto Systems, sister company to Automotive Concepts.
The competition also saw Auto Additions of Westerville, Ohio, earning the PRO Cup Challenge People’s Choice Award for its customized ‘25 Lexus GX 550, as voted on by SEMA Show attendees. Themed the “Takumi Edition,” the build featured premium accessories from Eastman/Llumar, XPEL, TRI State, Oracle Lighting, Tentative Rago Fab, Avery, Voxx, Luxwood and Katzkin. Inspired by the Japanese concept of Takumi, meaning “artisan,” the theme paid tribute to master craftsmanship, a distinction achieved only after more than 60,000 hours of honing one’s skills. Pictured (bottom left) with the award is Josh Poulson of Auto Additions.
Method Race Wheels was among the brands capturing a Media’s Choice Award for its Method 709 HD (Heavy-Duty) Bead Grip Wheel.
MEDIA’S CHOICE AWARDS
Formerly the SEMA Global Media Awards, the 2025 Media’s Choice Awards expanded to include select judges representing top domestic industry media outlets. In all, 21 leading editors from consumer, enthusiast and trade publications combed through the New Products Showcase to handpick three standout products each that they believe will resonate with their audiences. Their selections were as follows:
- Dakota Digital-RTX-88C-PU-X Chevy/GMC ’88–’91 RTX Gauge System
- Holley Performance Brands-Terminator X Bluetooth Module (558-483)
- Melling Performance-MDK400-HPT AFM Delete Kit With Tuner
- Revv ADAS-Revv Integration Ecosystem
- Killer Tools & Equipment Corp.-SPOT WELD PRO
- I-CAR-Mixed Attachment Methods
- Teslong-F6 Pro
- Polyvance-6181 Mini-Fuzer Pro Hot Air Plastic Welder
- Redline Detection-Smoke Pro Total Tech 95-0050
- Dakota Digital-VCM-300 Velocity Commander Mechanical Cruise Control
- FTI Performance 10R80 Torque Converter for Mustang and F-150 Truck
- Edelbrock Victor LSXR Supercharger for LS3-Swapped Vehicles
- Suspension Direct Inc.-E-CLIK Universal Kit for Remote Reservoir Shocks
- 70mai-4K Omni
- Scosche FoundIT Charge-Item Locator & Car Charger
- Redline Detection-BCLD: Battery + Coolant Leak Detector
- RIMiQ Portable Tire Inflator with QwikFlow Technology
- Carlock-CARLOCK Ultimate Security Bundle
- KECO Body Repair Products-GPR+ Pro Cart
- Kinetic Automation-Kinetic Vision
- Car-Part.com-iPro Images
- IDIDIT ‘88-’94 GM OBS Truck Steering Column with Multifunction Switch
- Z-TRAK-Custom-Fitted Mounting Rack for Truck Beds
- QA1 ‘99-’06 Silverado and Sierra Suspension Systems
- Dynam Labs Inc.-Dynam Labs VCU+
- Torque Trends Inc.-TorqueBox 2.0 Extreme Duty
- Worksport Ltd.-COR Battery System
- AeroCreeper-Power-Lift AeroCreeper
- BluePrint Engines-GM LS Compatible 376ci Engine
- Edelbrock Victor LSXR Supercharger
- Turbosmart-E-Boost 3
- ProCharger P-1R Supercharger
- Vapor Trapper-Vapor Trapper
- AlphaRex ‘24+ Ford F-150 NOVA-Series LED Headlights
- aFe Power-Toyota Tacoma D.A.S. XL Dynamic Air Scoop
- Wolfbox MegaFlow 200 Compressed Air Duster
- JE Pistons VW DASA Extreme pistons
- Haltech Nexus Plug-in ECU for Nissan Skyline R32/R33/R34 GT-R
- Suspension Direct Inc.-E-CLIK Universal Kit
- FLATED-FLATED Air-Topper FLEET
- Caliber Inc.-Apex SkyLift
- ProCharger F-150 5.0L High Output “PRO” System
- FiTech Fuel Injection-Go EFI Vintage 97 System
- Ford Performance by Recaro Black Mustang Seat Set
- COLLINO-Ford F-100 Twin I-Beam Adjustable Camber/Caster
- Vapor Trapper-Vapor Trapper
- Antigravity Batteries Lightweight Sodium Starter Battery
- FiTech Fuel Injection-Go EFI Vintage 97 System
- REDARC Electronics-REDWorks Power Panels
- Suspension Direct Inc.-E-CLIK Universal Kit
- Caliber Inc.-Apex SkyLift
- Holley Performance Brands-6T 13.5-in. Front Brake Kit
- ApolloSpray POWER-6 VS AUTO HVLP Electric Painting System
- VAIS Technology-Push Button Start System
- Aces Fuel Injection, Inc.-Deuces Wild 2
- FiTech Fuel Injection-Go EFI Vintage 97 System
- Old School Metal-FUSCONETA Volkspod Mini Bike
- ProCharger Superchargers-GM LS Engine Intercooler
- REDARC Electronics-QuickFit Power Panels
- GEARWRENCH Hi-Viz Socket & Impact Sets
- Method Race Wheels-Method 709 HD Bead Grip Wheel
- Fury Tires-Fury Tires Sierra Hunter ATM
- Turbo Wholesale Tires-Lionhart Imara H/T S
