Washington AI Network Announces Awardees for the 2026 AI Honors Gala

WASHINGTON, May 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 3, 2026, the Washington AI Network will host the second annual AI Honors, a black-tie gala at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, DC, to recognize individuals whose vision and leadership are shaping AI innovation.

The AI Honors will convene more than 300 influential voices in AI — from government, industry, academia, and civil society — to recognize the promise, power, and people driving the field forward. The evening will begin with a reception at 6 pm, followed by the seated awards dinner at 7 pm. Washington's only black-tie event dedicated to AI achievement comes at a critical time for American competitiveness.

The following leaders will be honored on June 3rd:

The Bipartisan Leadership on AI Award will be presented to Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) for their sustained leadership in advancing thoughtful, bipartisan AI policy at a moment of enormous consequence for America's national security and economic future.

Entrepreneur Kevin O'Leary—a.k.a. Shark Tank's Mr. Wonderful—will be presented with the AI Global Ambassador Award for his investments in AI implementation, data centers, and the convergence of AI with blockchain and digital payments, and for advocating AI literacy to ensure future job security.

NVIDIA co-founder and fellow, Chris Malachowsky, who helped build the infrastructure on which AI runs, will receive the Founder's Education Accelerator Award — honoring his vision in bringing that knowledge and power to the next generation through his landmark investment in AI education at the University of Florida.

Michele Jawando, CEO of Omidyar Network, will receive the Civic Technology Leadership Award for her extraordinary career spanning government, public policy, advocacy, and technology.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will present Major General Patrick J. Ellis with the AI Leadership in National Defense Award in recognition of his visionary leadership at the intersection of artificial intelligence, operational readiness, and national defense. He is the commanding general of the 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson in Colorado.

The Public Science Award will be presented to Dr. Katherine (Kathy) Yelick for her extensive work and deep expertise in high-performance computing and machine learning, as well as her historic appointment as the first computer scientist to lead Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in its 90-year history. 

Tammy Haddad, founder of the Washington AI Network, 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."

Last year's inaugural AI Honors gala was a sold-out evening honoring remarkable voices from Congress, U.S. national security, scientific institutions, the Vatican, and industry, including Sen. Todd Young, Congressmen Jay Obernolte and Ted Lieu, Father Paolo Benanti, the Pope's AI Adviser, Vice Admiral Frank Whitworth, Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Patricia K. Falcone, Ph.D., Deputy Director for Science and Technology at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Jack Hidary, CEO of Sandbox AQ.

The following companies are 2026 gala sponsors: 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.

Contact: [email protected] 
Website: www.washingtonainetwork.com

About Washington AI Network
Launched in July 2023 in response to the growing policy questions around artificial intelligence (AI), the Washington AI Network is a bipartisan forum focused on education, dialogue, and progress around AI innovation and governance - bringing the right people together to move the conversation and the country forward. The Washington AI Network is powered by Haddad Media.

About the Washington AI Network Podcast
The Washington AI Network Podcast is hosted by media veteran and Washington AI Network founder Tammy Haddad and produced by Haddad Media. It is available on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon Music, Spotify, and Audioboom. The podcast was honored with two 2025 Communicator Awards and one in 2026.

To hear more thought-provoking AI conversations with key stakeholders, subscribe to the Washington AI Network podcast and visit https://washingtonainetwork.com/.

About Tammy Haddad
Tammy Haddad is the founder of the Washington AI Network. She is an award-winning television executive and strategic communications leader whose company, Haddad Media, advises some of the world's top media brands, technology disruptors, innovative startups, and nonprofit organizations. She is the former vice president and political director of MSNBC and executive producer of Hardball with Chris Matthews, Larry King Live, Fox News Sunday, senior broadcast producer of The Today Show and The Late Late Show. Haddad is the recipient of two John Foster Peabody Awards and a Gracie.

Haddad is also the founder of WhiteHouseCorrespondentsInsider, a website covering the political and media cultures in the nation's capital, and founder of the Washington Women Technology Network, a forum that connects women leaders in business, government, and media. She previously hosted the Cone of Silence podcast, the cable television show, The First Producer's Club, and co-hosted Bloomberg's Masters in Politics podcast.

SOURCE Haddad Media