Australia’s top-performing mortgage and finance professionals have been crowned winners at the 16th annual Australian Broking Awards 2026, run with support from principal partner NAB.
Around 700 members of the broking and lending industry gathered at a glittering cocktail luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Sydney on Friday (28 August) to celebrate the achievements of their peers and network with senior leaders across the third-party channel.
Run with support from principal partner National Australia Bank (NAB), the Australian Broking Awards acknowledge the leading brokers, brokerages, and aggregation groups providing outstanding service and advice to Australian borrowers.
During the ceremony, attendees were treated to an afternoon of entertainment led by Australian comedian and master of ceremonies, Merrick Watts.
The individual accolades championed residential brokers, asset finance brokers, commercial brokers, loan administrators, mentors, and industry thought leaders.
Meanwhile, group categories highlighted aggregators, brokerages, technology services providers, customer service excellence, and training programs.
The highest-scoring individual broker of the day was also honoured with the event's pinnacle award, being crowned the overall Broker of the Year for 2026.
From a massive pool of nearly 1,000 submissions, 257 high-achieving finalists competed across individual and group categories.
A total of 30 winners were chosen by the esteemed judging panel.
Commercial Point Finance’s Brendan Scotter took home the afternoon's highest honour, being crowned the overall Broker of the Year for 2026. Prior to securing the pinnacle trophy, Scotter was also recognised for his outstanding specialist work by winning Asset Finance Broker of the Year.
Other commercial brokers were also recognised. Paul Frazis from George Capital Finance Solutions took home the trophy for Commercial Broker of the Year, while Jacob Morris from Valiant Finance was named the Finance Broker of the Year.
In the mortgage broking categories, three women took home the individual broker accolades.
Deslie Taylor from Mortgage Choice Ormeau & Yarrabilba was named Residential Broker of the Year, and Leah Busby from Blackfish Finance was recognised as the broker with the best individual customer service. Ashleigh Pakis from Panache Financial in Goulburn was recognised as the Best Regional Broker.
Meanwhile, rising industry talent was highlighted as Adam Cullen from Mortgage Choice Darwin City earned New Broker of the Year and Momentum Wealth’s Iszac Wayne was cited as the one to watch, taking home Rising Star of the Year.
In the group awards, major aggregators and brokerage groups were celebrated for their work in delivering excellence to the industry.
Connective was named Australia’s Major Aggregator of the Year while Loan Market was celebrated as the Major Franchise Brokerage of the Year.
Many more individual brokers and groups were recognised in the 2026 awards. You can read the full list of winners here.
About the Australian Broking Awards
Now in its 16th year, the annual Australian Broking Awards program stands as the industry’s premier platform of national recognition across the third-party channel.
Building on the state-based Better Business Awards, it provides a benchmark for excellence, supporting top professionals and businesses in building nationwide credibility and accelerating growth in a competitive marketplace.
To select the winners, submissions were evaluated by a panel of respected industry leaders who scored each entry against quantitative and qualitative criteria—acknowledging business development, leadership, innovation, and overall contribution to Australia’s finance sector.
You can read the methodology for the awards here.
Announcing the winners of the 2026 Australian Broking Awards, Annie Kane, managing editor of The Adviser, said: “With broker market share reaching unprecedented highs and fresh talent revitalising the profession, the sheer calibre of expertise across Australian broking has never been more evident.
“Our 2026 winners represent the gold standard of modern finance. They are setting the pace for how credit advice should be delivered—combining cutting-edge technology with genuine, relationship-driven care that keeps client interests squarely at the centre.
“By championing innovation while never losing sight of the human touch, these standout performers are fundamental to why millions of home buyers and business owners place their complete trust in brokers today.
“Congratulations to all of this year’s winners – thank you for your outstanding contribution to the industry and for raising the benchmark of excellence across Australian broking!”
[Related: Finalists revealed for Australian Broking Awards 2026]
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