Five days out from the announcement of this year's winners, the global leisure marine and superyacht industries are turning their attention to Amsterdam, where the Boat Builder Awards 2025 will be held on Wednesday 19 November. Now running for eleven consecutive years, the awards have become a fixture on the industry calendar, shining a light on the ideas, partnerships, and people pushing boatbuilding forward.
IBI and Metstrade have organised the event, with Raymarine serving as headline sponsor. The awards cover outstanding performance across innovation, design solutions, sustainability, collaboration, and emerging talent. A judging panel of seven international experts worked through 68 entries earlier in the year before settling on a shortlist of 34 companies across the categories, pointing to what looks set to be one of the stronger editions the awards have seen.
The evening will be held at Harbour 8, a venue located just a short walk from Metstrade's expanded show floors. Moving the celebration closer to the exhibition itself means builders, designers, and suppliers can shift naturally from the show day into an evening geared around conversation and connection. Adding to the occasion, Green Michelin star chef Luc Kusters will lead the menu, with the culinary theme centred on returning "back to the source".
Judging panel chair and IBI Editor Ed Slack has pointed to a notable lift in development activity across the sector as a defining feature of this year's field. Even after the awards categories were streamlined, the proportion of entries coming in actually increased, which Slack says reflects renewed product development momentum, fresh market entrants, and a strong pipeline of rising talent. The shortlisted entries range across advanced tenders, electric catamarans, AI-driven collaborative systems, and circular composite projects.
Metstrade Exhibition Manager Patricia Becker has described the awards as growing into something broader than a simple prize-giving, with the Harbour 8 venue helping to draw boatbuilders and their supply chain partners into a more relaxed setting where meeting, collaborating, and exchanging ideas happens organically alongside the formal proceedings.
2025 Boat Builder Awards shortlist
Breakthrough Launch of the Year
Evene Tenders Origin Series; Lazzara Yachts LPC 300; MODX Catamarans MODX 70; Omaya Yachts Omaya 50; X Yachts XR 41
Innovative Design Solution
Amare Group AMY 330e; De Antonio Yachts D60; Highfield Boats ADV7; Lazzara Yachts LPC 300; MODX Catamarans MODX 70
Collaboration Between Builder and Supply Chain Partner
Azimut Yachts and WATCHIT; Sanlorenzo and Volvo Penta; Sirena Yachts with Vanemar and Garmin; Frauscher x Porsche; Starcraft with Uflex USA, Axium Group, Rollie Williams and Williamsburg Marine
Sustainability Project of the Year
Evene Tenders; Ferretti Group; TU Delft Hydro Motion Team; Thunderjet with Supersede; Groupe Beneteau with Veolia, Composite Recycling, Arkema, Owens Corning and Chomarat
With the ceremony now almost upon the industry, Amsterdam will bring together builders, designers, and suppliers to acknowledge a year marked by genuine collaboration, considered innovation, and meaningful steps forward in sustainability. The Boat Builder Awards continue to serve as a key moment for recognising the companies and individuals who are actively shaping the next chapter of global boatbuilding.
