Honorees announced for 2026 AI Honors Gala
A co-founder who helped build the infrastructure on which the AI revolution runs. A pair of senators who chose collaboration over partisanship when the stakes couldn’t be higher. An entrepreneur who turned his television stardom into a platform for AI advocacy. A commanding general preparing the United States Army for an AI-driven battlefield. A scientist who is making history at one of America’s great national laboratories. And a civic leader who has spent her career making sure these innovations serve everyone.
On June 3, 2026, the Washington AI Network (WAIN) will honor these extraordinary individuals at the second annual AI Honors Gala, Washington’s only black-tie evening dedicated to American AI excellence at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, DC. In an exclusive interview with Deadline, ““The AI Honors bring together the business, policy, and scientific leaders shaping the future of artificial intelligence at the very moment its impact on our economy, security, and daily lives is becoming impossible to ignore.” The honorees include:
AI GLOBAL AMBASSADOR AWARD
Kevin O’Leary
Known to millions as Shark Tank’s Mr. Wonderful, Kevin O’Leary has put his money — and his megaphone — behind the AI revolution. Honored for his investments in AI implementation, data centers, and the convergence of AI with blockchain and digital payments, O’Leary has also become one of the most visible advocates for AI literacy as the foundation of future job security.
BIPARTISAN LEADERSHIP ON AI AWARD
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) & Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD)
In a city often defined by division, Senators Warner and Rounds have chosen a different path. Recognized for their sustained, bipartisan leadership in advancing thoughtful AI policy, the two senators have worked across the aisle at a moment of enormous consequence for America’s national security and economic future.
FOUNDER’S EDUCATION ACCELERATOR AWARD
Chris Malachowsky, Co-Founder and Fellow, NVIDIA
NVIDIA co-founder Chris Malachowsky was there at the beginning — helping create the computing architecture that now powers the world’s most advanced AI systems. His landmark investment in AI education at the University of Florida ensures that the next generation won’t just use that infrastructure. They’ll build what comes next.
AI LEADERSHIP IN NATIONAL DEFENSE AWARD
Major General Patrick J. Ellis
Commanding General, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson
Major General Patrick J. Ellis has been at the forefront of preparing the United States Army for an increasingly AI-driven world. Honored for his visionary leadership at the intersection of artificial intelligence, operational readiness, and national defense, General Ellis represents a new generation of military leaders who understand that technological advantage and human excellence are inseparable. The award will be presented by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll.
PUBLIC SCIENCE AWARD
Dr. Katherine (Kathy) Yelick, Director, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab
Dr. Katherine Yelick has spent her career pushing the boundaries of high-performance computing and machine learning. Her historic appointment as the first computer scientist to lead Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in its 90-year history represents a turning point, a powerful signal that AI is no longer simply a tool of science, but central to how science itself gets done.
CIVIC TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP AWARD
Michele Jawando, CEO, Omidyar Network
Michele Jawando has spent her career at the intersection of technology, policy and civic engagement with a singular focus: making sure that innovation serves everyone. As CEO of Omidyar Network, she brings that vision to one of the world’s most influential impact-driven organizations.
Together, this year’s honorees represent the full arc of what AI leadership looks like in 2026. As Tammy Haddad, founder of WAIN said, “The AI Honors bring together the business, policy, and scientific leaders shaping the future of artificial intelligence at the very moment its impact on our economy, security, and daily lives is becoming impossible to ignore.”
The 2026 AI Honors builds on the success of last year’s sold-out inaugural gala, which brought together voices from Congress, U.S. national security, scientific institutions, the Vatican, and industry. Year two deepens that commitment: to convene the key leaders across party lines, sectors, and disciplines, at the moment AI’s consequences are impossible to ignore.
2026 GALA SPONSORS
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Americans for Prosperity, Anthropic, Amazon, Bloomberg, Booking Holdings, Build American AI, Capital Power, Cohere, Constellation Energy, Flex Association, General Catalyst Institute, General Motors, GlobalWIN, IBM, JPMorganChase, LinkedIn, Microsoft, NobleReach Foundation, NVIDIA, Public Private Strategies Institute, Qualcomm, Salesforce, Scale AI, Silverado Policy Accelerator, Special Competitive Studies Project, TikTok, and Uber.