The Sweets & Snacks Expo announced the winners of the 2026 Most Innovative New Product Awards on May 18, recognizing the most innovative candy and snack products shaping the future of the industry.
With nearly 500 products entered this year – the largest field in program history – the awards spotlight breakthrough innovation, emerging trends and products poised to drive consumer excitement and category growth.
“The Most Innovative New Product Awards celebrate the creativity, ingenuity and consumer-focused innovation that continue to move the confectionery and snack industries forward,” said John Downs, president and CEO of the National Confectioners Association, the host organization for Sweets & Snacks Expo.
“With a record number of entries this year, the 2026 finalists and winners demonstrate how brands are responding to evolving consumer preferences and creating opportunities for innovative treating.”
New award categories
This year’s awards program introduces two new top honors – the Trailblazer Award and Powerhouse Award – replacing the previous Best in Show and Small Business Innovator categories. The updated structure recognizes both disruptive emerging ideas and high-impact launches from established brands.
2026 Most Innovative New Product Awards Winners
Top honors:
- Powerhouse Candy: WARHEADS Loud Mouth Bites | CandyRific
- Powerhouse Snack: Dot’s Snack Mix | The Hershey Company
- Trailblazer Candy: Mochi Gummies – Dark Chocolate Covered Cherry | Issei
- Trailblazer Snack: Raspberry Rose (Beauty + Glow) Popcorn | Belle’s Gourmet Popcorn
Category winners:
- Chocolate: Alli & Rose Strawberry Moochies | CAL Marketing
- Gourmet/Premium Confections: Freeze Dried Milk + White Chocolate Strawberries | Tru Fru
- Gum & Mints: Bubblicious Gummy Gum – Strawberry Orange | Perfetti Van Melle
- Gummy Candy: Squashies Sours – Cherry & Apple | Smarties
- Non-Chocolate Candy: Sour Tiniez | Rotten
- Novelty/Licensed: Mashups Candy Salad Kit | 1UP Candy
- Seasonal: Brach’s Crunchy Chewy Jelly Beans | Ferrara
- Meat Snacks: Cinnabon Bakery Inspired Flavored – Bacon Jerky | Wicked Cutz
- Salty Snacks: Cholula Hot Sauce Flavored Tortilla Chips | Xochitl, Inc.
- Savory Snacks: Everything Bagel Pretzels | Promise Confections / Edward Marc Brands
- Sweet Snacks: Nutella Ice Cream Cones | Ferrero North America
- Baked Goods: Strawberry Milkshake Cookie | The Graceful Cookie
For independent grocers
For independent grocers, the award winners highlight several trends worth noting for shelf sets and seasonal planning:
- Cross-category innovation – Winners like Dot’s Snack Mix (Powerhouse Snack) and Cinnabon Bacon Jerky (Meat Snacks) show consumers are open to unexpected flavor combinations outside traditional candy and salty snack lines.
- Texture-driven candy – Squashies Sours (Gummy Candy) and WARHEADS Loud Mouth Bites (Powerhouse Candy) point to continued consumer appetite for novel mouthfeel and sour profiles.
- Licensed and novelty formats – Mashups Candy Salad Kit (Novelty/Licensed) taps into social media-friendly, interactive eating experiences.
- Premium and better-for-you – Tru Fru’s freeze-dried chocolate-covered strawberries and Belle’s Raspberry Rose popcorn suggest continued growth in premium and functional snacking.
Those attending the show can view the winning products and sample them on the floor, as well as view them on display in the Featured Product Showcase.
About the Sweets & Snacks Expo
The Sweets & Snacks Expo is the premier event for the confectionery and snack industries, hosted by the National Confectioners Association. NCA member companies drive $55 billion in retail sales.
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