Annual awards recognize products reshaping categories and delivering meaningful impact for today’s consumers
Chicago (September 10, 2026) – NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence, today announced the North American winners of its 2026 Breakthrough Innovation Awards. Now in its 15th year, the awards recognize exceptional new products that are reshaping their categories through meaningful consumer relevance, strong market performance, and sustained business impact.
This year’s winners reflect an evolving marketplace shaped by changing consumer behaviors, increasing value consciousness, and rising demand for products that deliver both practical benefits and memorable experiences. Across categories, the honorees demonstrate how brands are successfully translating consumer insights into growth-driving innovation.
Award winners were selected based on their ability to generate sustained growth, achieve strong in-market results, and maintain consumer resonance over time. Additionally, the awards identify the innovations that combine meaningful differentiation with measurable marketplace success.
The 2026 NIQ North American Breakthrough Innovation Award winners are:
Canada
- Catelli Protein+ Pasta
- Celsius Zero Sugar
- Schneider’s Frozen Breakfast Sandwiches & Bites
US
- Bloom Sparkling Energy
- BUBBL’R Antioxidant Sparkling Water
- BUILT Puff
- CeraVe Intensive Moisturizer
- Cheerios™ Protein Cereal
- Chobani® 20G Protein Greek Yogurt
- Coca-Cola Orange Cream
- Crest 3DWhite Deep Stain Remover
- eos Cashmere Body Wash Collection
- Fruit Riot!
- Goodles Mac
- GRAZA Olive Oil
- Lemme Supplements
- LMNT Electrolyte Drink Mix
- Michelob ULTRA Zero
- Nature’s Garden Probiotic Yoggies
- Nerds Gummy Clusters Grape Strawberry Blitz & Berry Punch Rush
- Oikos Pro Drinks & Shots
- Once Upon a Farm Pantry Snacks
- Peelerz
- Smucker’s Uncrustables Peanut Butter & Raspberry Spread Sandwich
- Sprite Chill
- Surfside
- Wilde Protein Chips
For the “Wavemakers” category, an honor recognizing promising new North American product launches that have demonstrated strong market velocities and potential for long-term success, the 2026 cohort included:
- Dirty Mountain Dew (US)
- RYZE Mushroom Coffee (US)
- SIMPLY NKD Doritos & Cheetos (US)
“The 2026 Breakthrough Innovation Award winners prove that bold ideas can capture consumers’ attention and move categories forward,” said Nicholas Weaver, Managing Director, North America Strategic Analytics and Insights, NIQ. “These brands combined sharp consumer insight with exceptional execution to bring truly differentiated products to market. The result is innovation that doesn’t just stand out on the shelf, it earns a place in consumers’ daily lives.”
Since its inception, NIQ Breakthrough Innovation Awards have recognized nearly 1,400 products globally that have reshaped categories and driven growth through consumer-centric innovation. The 2026 North America winners continue this momentum, showcasing the creativity, agility, and insight that define the future of consumer goods.
For more information about the award winners, please visit NIQ’s Breakthrough Innovation Awards website or register to attend the webinar, The Future of Innovation: Lessons from the 2026 North America Breakthrough Innovation Winners, on September 23 here.
FAQs
What are the NIQ Breakthrough Innovation Awards?
The NIQ Breakthrough Innovation Awards recognize new products that have delivered measurable market success and meaningful consumer relevance. Each winner reflects NIQ’s standard for innovation, combining strong in-market performance with the ability to address evolving consumer needs.
How are NIQ Breakthrough Innovation Award winners selected?
Winning products are assessed on sustained sales performance, growth trajectory, and their ability to differentiate and drive impact within their category over time.
Why do the NIQ Breakthrough Innovation Awards matter for brands and retailers?
The awards provide a data-backed view of which innovations are delivering results in market. They help brands and retailers better understand what is resonating with consumers and where there are opportunities to drive future growth.
About NIQ
NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ) is a leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete and trusted understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. By combining an unmatched global data footprint and granular consumer and retail measurement with decades of AI modeling expertise, NIQ builds decision systems that help companies turn complex data into confident action.
With operations in more than 90 countries, NIQ covers approximately 82% of the world’s population and more than $7.4 trillion in global consumer spend. Through cloud-based platforms, advanced analytics and AI-driven insights, NIQ delivers The Full View™—helping brands and retailers understand what consumers buy, why they buy it, and what to do next.
For more information, please visit www.niq.com.
Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer
This press release regarding the NIQ 2026 Breakthrough Innovation Award Winners contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding anticipated consumer behaviors, market trends and industry developments; the potential continued consumer relevance and marketplace performance of the NIQ 2026 Breakthrough Innovation Award Winners; the potential future performance and long-term success of products recognized in the Wavemakers category; and potential opportunities for brands and retailers to achieve future growth. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “potential,” “promising,” “future,” “continue,” “will,” “should,” “may,” and similar references to future events or performance. These statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside our control, including changes in consumer preferences, economic conditions, technological developments, competitive dynamics, market adoption, and the ability of recognized products to maintain consumer relevance and in-market performance. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Additional information on these and other risks is contained in the “Risk Factors” section of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and our subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, available at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update them except as required by law.
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