Hemmings Names 10 Winners at SEMA Show
The 2026 Hemmings Honors Awards recognized builders, owners and aftermarket manufacturers at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Car Culture
Hemmings announced the 10 winners of the 2026 Hemmings Honors Awards at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The awards recognize vehicle builders, owners and aftermarket manufacturers.
Why it matters
The awards highlight custom and restored vehicles from shops across the country, giving national attention to independent builders. Winners were selected for quality, story, execution, originality and representation of the hobby's direction.
Ten awards were presented at the 2026 SEMA Show. The source does not report how many builds were submitted or reviewed.
The players
Hemmings
Hemmings is a long-running publisher covering classic and collector cars, and its honors program recognizes notable builds.
SEMA Show
The SEMA Show is a major annual automotive aftermarket trade event held in Las Vegas.
The details
Hemmings reviewed builds throughout SEMA move-in and show week before selecting honorees. Winners include a 1940 Mercury Eight built by WyoTech in Laramie, Wyoming, and a 1957 Cadillac Eldorado by Mike Rutter of Rutterz Rodz in Bristol, Tennessee.
Timeline
SEMA move-in and show week, 2026: Hemmings team reviewed builds for honoree selection.
2026: Hemmings Honors awards were presented at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
November 4, 2026: Announcement of the award winners was published.
Roadmap
The SEMA Show serves as the annual gathering point for the aftermarket customization industry, and the Hemmings Honors fit within that calendar of custom builds. The 2026 winners span restomods, a custom ice cream truck and a restored International Harvester, showing how the hobby spans multiple eras and styles.
Enthusiasts planning to visit SEMA or follow custom builds can use the winners as a reference for current trends in restomods and custom work. Owners of classic vehicles may find the awards useful for benchmarking their own projects against recognized builds.
The takeaway
Custom and classic builds recognized at major industry shows often reflect broader interest in preserving vintage vehicles through modern engineering. Readers interested in the hobby can track these awards to see which styles and builders are gaining recognition.
Further reading
Explore more Car Culture stories and builds from across the country.
