In recognition of the vast range of talent and excellence in the UK’s IT industry, the CIO 100 UK has become the benchmark for achievement, insight sharing, and collaboration among an influential community of tech decision-makers who drive meaningful business outcomes through digital leadership, strategic vision, and technology breakthroughs.

Once again, the prestigious awards are back for 2026 as part of the global CIO Awards project, now in its fourth decade after first starting in the US and then expanding to other markets such as Germany, Spain, Singapore, Australia, South Korea, India, and, of course, the UK.

The deadline for this year’s applicants to enter is May 21, however, and the CIO 100 Awards & Conference UK takes place on September 24 at the prestigious Royal Lancaster hotel in London. During the event, past award winners and nominees will be in attendance to share their success stories with other IT leaders, creating an invaluable peer-to-peer learning experience.

A trusted platform

CIO.com, a publication of Foundry, highlights the work of top-level executives who drive valuable and measurable business results through digital leadership and strategic vision, and the CIO 100 UK celebrates those leaders. So the application process is designed to attract the best of the best by accepting various formats either by text, video, audio, or interview. 

They should also focus on delivering evidence-based answers that show data-driven impact, strong leadership, and alignment between technology and business goals. Plus, they should demonstrate how they shaped culture, collaboration, and strategic direction through specific actions. Of course, submissions should highlight standout achievements as well, with concise examples that showcase meaningful outcomes and what differentiates their leadership.

To read the full guidance for applying, please view the Guidance Criteria Document. You can also view the questions at a glance. And if you have any questions regarding your application, please email events-uk@foundryco.com.

Submit your application online here.

Every event at a glance

Here, you can find all of Foundry’s global CIO Award events at a glance. To show interest, register, or query anything, please contact our colleagues in the respective regions.

Currently, we’re accepting nominations for the CIO 100 and CIO 50 awards in the following countries and regions:

• CIO 100 USA (August 2026) — Application phase closed; registration for the conference is open here. Learn more
• CIO of the Year Germany (October 2026) — Application deadline: May 15, 2026. Learn more
• CIO 100 UK (September 2026) — Application deadline: May 21, 2026. Learn more
• CIO 50 Spain (October 2026) — Application deadline: May 29, 2026. Learn more
• CIO 100 India (September 2026) — Application deadline: June 5, 2026. Learn more
• CIO 100 Australia (September 2026) — Application deadline: June 19, 2026. Learn more
• CIO 100 ASEAN (November 2026) — Application deadline: July 27, 2026. Learn more
• CIO 50 Japan (December 2026) — Application deadline: mid-August 2026. Learn more

Hosted by CIO.com and CSOonline.com, the event brings together CIOs, CTOs, CSOs and industry experts for a focused, interactive peer-led programme designed for tech leaders to deliberate on one central question: how do organisations move from digital ambition to real, scalable outcomes? With a focus on secure, modern, intelligent, the inaugural CIO100 Leadership Live Singapore conference is a critical gathering point for senior IT leaders navigating this shift, offering not just perspectives, but practical insight into what it takes to lead in today’s environment.

Enterprise technology leaders are facing a defining moment.

AI investment is accelerating, expectations from the board are rising and the pressure to translate innovation into measurable business value has never been greater.

According to CIO.com research, 71% of IT leaders plan to increase investment in AI-enabled technologies, while half already have AI in production in at least one business unit. At the same time, organisations are discovering that scaling AI, securely, effectively, and at enterprise level is far more complex than launching pilots.

Moving beyond AI hype

While AI continues to dominate boardroom agendas, many organisations are encountering a familiar challenge: moving from experimentation to execution.

CIO.com’s latest State of the CIO research highlights just how central AI has become — with 75% of CIOs expecting to deepen their involvement in AI initiatives, and IT teams leading adoption efforts across the enterprise.

But with this momentum comes a growing reality: success is not guaranteed. Research shows a clear divide between organisations that are realising returns on AI and those that are not, often due to gaps in governance, data readiness, and operating models.

CIO Leadership Live Singapore is designed to address this gap head-on, through sessions such as “From AI Strategy to Business Impact: What Leading CIOs Are Doing Differently,” the event will explore how forward-thinking organisations are aligning AI investments with business priorities, governance frameworks, and measurable ROI.

Closing the gap between pilots and production

A recurring issue for many organisations is what leaders often describe as the “production gap,” the difficulty of turning promising ideas into scalable, enterprise-grade solutions.

While AI adoption is growing, only a small proportion of organisations have implemented AI at a true enterprise scale, highlighting the challenge of moving beyond isolated use cases.

At CIO Leadership Live Singapore, this challenge is addressed through sessions focused on execution. Industry leaders will examine what it takes to scale AI successfully, including modernising infrastructure, aligning data strategies and embedding automation across workflows

Scaling the autonomous enterprise

As organisations mature in their AI journey, the conversation is shifting beyond individual use cases toward AI-native operations and autonomous systems.

CIO.com research shows that 58% of IT leaders believe AI will fundamentally transform how their business operates, while emerging technologies are already driving new levels of automation and decision-making.

At the ”Scaling the Autonomous Enterprise” panel, CIO100 award-winning leaders come together to share how they are designing organisations around these capabilities, embedding AI into workflows, decision-making, and customer engagement.

However, these advancements comes with new responsibilities. Leaders must balance innovation with governance, ensuring that AI systems are trusted, secure, and aligned with business objectives.

Modernisation remains mission-critical

While AI dominates the agenda, one message is clear: modernisation is the foundation of everything.CIO.com research data shows that organisations are heavily investing in foundational capabilities such as data management, infrastructure, and skills development to support AI at scale.

CIO Leadership Live Singapore sessions will explore how CIOs are tackling the complex challenge of modernising legacy environments while maintaining operational stability.This includes managing technical debt, transitioning to cloud-native architectures, leveraging automation to improve agility

Cyber resilience moves to the forefront

As digital ecosystems expand, so too does the risk landscape.CIO.com research highlights that security concerns remain the number one barrier to adopting innovative technologies, even as organisations accelerate innovation.

This is driving a shift toward cyber resilience focusing not just on prevention, but on the ability to respond, recover, and continue operating.

Sessions at the event will explore how CIOs and CISOs are embedding resilience into their strategies, and how they are communicating cyber risk at the board level.

The Strategic CIO

Underlying all these trends is a fundamental shift in the role of the CIO. Today, 50% of CIOs identify as business leaders, actively shaping strategy and driving organisational outcomes. At the same time, 82% say their role is becoming more focused on digital innovation. This evolution is at the heart of CIO Leadership Live Singapore.

This event is not just about technology; it is about leadership, decision-making, and the ability to navigate complexity in a rapidly changing environment.

CIO Leadership Live Singapore offers a unique opportunity to:

• Learn from peers who are delivering results at scale
• Gain practical insights into AI, modernisation, and resilience
• And engage in meaningful conversations with leaders facing the same challenges

For further information: https://event.foundryco.com/cio-leadership-live-singapore/