Most Active Speakers 2023

Sessionize proudly presents the list of the most active speakers in the year 2023!

  • 759 speakers
  • Auto-generated
Martin Thwaites

Martin Thwaites

Martin is a Developer Advocate at Honeycomb, o11y enthusiast, and a delivery-focused Developer from the UK. With over 20 years experience in development in the .NET ecosystem, he’s worked with many companies on scaling up engineering teams and products. The past few years have been spent working on solving complex problems with some of the UK’s big names, including e-commerce retailers and credit lenders.

Martin is a Developer Advocate at Honeycomb, o11y enthusiast, and a delivery-focused Developer from the UK. With over 20 years experience in development in the .NET ecosystem, he’s worked with many companies on scaling up engineering teams and produc... Show more

Michel Murabito

Michel Murabito

I'm Michel Murabito, Mich to my friends! Born in 1986 in Turin with Sicilian roots, I now live in Milan. My journey in software began at 12, coding for fun. At 18, I started my first job as a software developer and have continuously sought new challenges to grow and learn. Today,

I'm a Tech Evangelist @Fractal Cloud and a Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) Ambassador, sharing my passion for cloud native technologies with a community of curious minds. I'm also an organizer of the Cloud Native Days Italy (formerly KCD Italy) and KCD San Francisco Bay Area, fostering collaboration and innovation within the cloud native ecosystem.

I'm Michel Murabito, Mich to my friends! Born in 1986 in Turin with Sicilian roots, I now live in Milan. My journey in software began at 12, coding for fun. At 18, I started my first job as a software developer and have continuously sought new challe... Show more

Giuliano De Luca

Giuliano De Luca

Giuliano is a Solutions Architect at BMW and Microsoft MVP for Microsoft 365, enthusiastic and a lover of his job, he is a specialist in Microsoft technologies like Microsoft 365 and Azure.
During his career, he has achieved several Microsoft certifications.
He is also a blogger, vlogger, and international speaker.
delucagiuliano.com
@delucagiulian
https://www.linkedin.com/in/delucagiuliano/
https://www.youtube.com/GiulianoDeLuca

Giuliano is a Solutions Architect at BMW and Microsoft MVP for Microsoft 365, enthusiastic and a lover of his job, he is a specialist in Microsoft technologies like Microsoft 365 and Azure. During his career, he has achieved several Microsoft certif... Show more

Ryan Booz

Ryan Booz

Ryan is a Solutions Engineer at pganalyze focusing on PostgreSQL. Ryan has worked as a PostgreSQL advocate, developer, DBA and product manager for more than 25 years, primarily working with time-series data on PostgreSQL and the Microsoft Data Platform.

Ryan is a long-time DBA and developer, starting with MySQL and Postgres in the late 90s. He spent more than 15 years working with SQL Server before returning to PostgreSQL full-time in 2018. He’s at the top of his game when he's learning something new about the data platform or teaching others about the technology he loves.

Ryan is a Solutions Engineer at pganalyze focusing on PostgreSQL. Ryan has worked as a PostgreSQL advocate, developer, DBA and product manager for more than 25 years, primarily working with time-series data on PostgreSQL and the Microsoft Data Platfo... Show more

Alec Harrison

Alec Harrison

I'm Alec Harrison, a Microsoft Azure MVP and software consultant specializing in cloud-native development, AI integration, and developer enablement. I lead several user groups, including the Iowa Microsoft Azure User Group, and I'm passionate about helping developers stay ahead of the curve with emerging tech.

I also host the Engineer in the Loop podcast and blog at EITL.ai, where I explore the intersection of AI, cloud, and real-world software engineering.

I'm Alec Harrison, a Microsoft Azure MVP and software consultant specializing in cloud-native development, AI integration, and developer enablement. I lead several user groups, including the Iowa Microsoft Azure User Group, and I'm passionate about h... Show more

Mark Pryce-Maher

Mark Pryce-Maher

Mark Pryce-Maher is a Senior Program Manager on Microsoft Fabric. Primary focusing on the Mirroring, User Experiences and Migrations for the Data Warehouse. Mark has spent the last 7 years at Microsoft in the Big Data space, including helping many customers migrate from Netezza, Teradata, Oracle, APS, SQL Server to Synapse Data Warehouse.

Mark Pryce-Maher is a Senior Program Manager on Microsoft Fabric. Primary focusing on the Mirroring, User Experiences and Migrations for the Data Warehouse. Mark has spent the last 7 years at Microsoft in the Big Data space, including helping many... Show more

Erin Dempster

Erin Dempster

Erin is currently the Enterprise Architect at Trean Corporation in Wayzata, MN, USA. From 2023-25, Erin was a Data Platform MVP for her involvement in the SQL Server/Fabric community. She has been working with SQL Server for over 20 years, both as a developer and a database administrator. Over the past several years, PowerShell and Azure DevOps have become areas of focus.

Erin is currently the Enterprise Architect at Trean Corporation in Wayzata, MN, USA. From 2023-25, Erin was a Data Platform MVP for her involvement in the SQL Server/Fabric community. She has been working with SQL Server for over 20 years, both as a ... Show more

Rizel Scarlett

Rizel Scarlett

Rizel Scarlett is a Staff Developer Advocate at Block. With a diverse background spanning GitHub, startups, and non-profit organizations, Rizel has cultivated a passion for utilizing emerging technologies to champion equity within the tech industry. She moonlights as an Advisor at G{Code} House, an organization aimed at teaching women of color and non-binary people of color to code. Rizel believes in leveraging vulnerability, honesty, and kindness as means to educate early-career developers.Rizel Scarlett is a Staff Developer Advocate at Block. With a diverse background spanning GitHub, startups, and non-profit organizations, Rizel has cultivated a passion for utilizing emerging technologies to champion equity within the tech industry. She moonlights as an Advisor at G{Code} House, an organization aimed at teaching women of color and non-binary people of color to code. Rizel believes in leveraging vulnerability, honesty, and kindness as means to educate early-career developers.

Rizel Scarlett is a Staff Developer Advocate at Block. With a diverse background spanning GitHub, startups, and non-profit organizations, Rizel has cultivated a passion for utilizing emerging technologies to champion equity within the tech industry. ... Show more

Espen Sande-Larsen

Espen Sande-Larsen

Espen is a developer and architect with over 25 years of experience. He has worked on everything from embedded systems, electronics and games to large-scale cloud applications. He is as full-stack as they come. Espen started coding at age six on a C64 and has been cranking out software ever since.

He served as the principal architect, tech lead and lead security
engineer on the compensation scheme for Covid-19 suffering
businesses released by the Norwegian government.

Espen was the Senior VP of Technology Exploration for DNB in San Francisco and is currently doing technology and security research in DNB NewTechLab.

Espen is a developer and architect with over 25 years of experience. He has worked on everything from embedded systems, electronics and games to large-scale cloud applications. He is as full-stack as they come. Espen started coding at age six on a C6... Show more

Edit Kapcari

Edit Kapcari

With a strong background in Power Platform adoption, governance, and enablement, I help organizations bridge the gap between technology and business needs. As a Power Platform advisor and team lead, I mentor software developers, drive best practices, and ensure scalable, well-architected solutions. My expertise covers automation, low-code development, and AI integration, always with a focus on user-centric design and business value. I have a hands-on approach, supporting teams through training, and strategic consulting to encourage a healthy working culture and internal capability building. At conferences and community events, I share insights through talks, panels, and workshops, always aiming to inspire, connect and enable. I thrive in fast-paced, complex projects, balancing pragmatism with a strong drive for quality and innovation. Ultimately, my goal is to make technology accessible, impactful, and future-proof for customers and their people.

I've been in the Microsoft ecosystem since 2017, starting as a Dynamics 365 CE developer before evolving into a Power Platform Advisor. Today, I lead a team of Power Platform experts, driving adoption, governance, and innovation.

Academical Background:
• M.Sc. in Computer Science | Saarland University
• M.Sc. in Computer Engineering | Polytechnic University of Tirana

With a strong background in Power Platform adoption, governance, and enablement, I help organizations bridge the gap between technology and business needs. As a Power Platform advisor and team lead, I mentor software developers, drive best practices,... Show more

Michael Cade

Michael Cade

A seasoned technologist with over 20 years of experience in the Ops space. He is currently serving as the Global Field CTO for a leading cloud-native and open-source data protection company.

Exploring the world of Cloud,Cloud-Native, DevOps and Open-Source Software software and raising awareness that there is still very much a requirement to protect data and workloads within these platforms.

Author of 90DaysOfDevOps, an Open Learning resource for the community with over 20,000 GitHub Stars sharing structured route to learning the world of DevOps.

Current Project: Up The Stack, a look into the graduated and incubating projects that we see within the CNCF Landscape.

A seasoned technologist with over 20 years of experience in the Ops space. He is currently serving as the Global Field CTO for a leading cloud-native and open-source data protection company. Exploring the world of Cloud,Cloud-Native, DevOps and Op... Show more

Mohamed Taman

Mohamed Taman

A senior solutions architect with over 22 years of experience designing and delivering scalable business solutions that align technology with strategic goals. A Java Champion, JCP member, and TOGAF-certified architect, he brings deep expertise in Java, cloud, data architecture, AI, and large-scale distributed systems. He has led and contributed to global enterprises across diverse industries, combining strong leadership with hands-on technical excellence. An international speaker and award-winning author, he is passionate about learning, sharing knowledge, and driving innovation through high-quality, sustainable architecture.

A senior solutions architect with over 22 years of experience designing and delivering scalable business solutions that align technology with strategic goals. A Java Champion, JCP member, and TOGAF-certified architect, he brings deep expertise in Jav... Show more

Femke Cornelissen

Femke Cornelissen

Femke Cornelissen is Chief Copilot at Wortell. She is also the founder of Dutch Women in Tech (DWIT). Femke's goal with DWIT is to connect women in tech and help to inspire young women to choose a job in IT. Women can connect through the community in Microsoft Teams and various on- and offline events.

Femke is also a Microsoft 365 blogger with only Dutch content. Her goal is to organize, speak and attend conferences to learn, connect and share knowledge with others.

Find out more at www.femkecornelissen.com

Femke Cornelissen is Chief Copilot at Wortell. She is also the founder of Dutch Women in Tech (DWIT). Femke's goal with DWIT is to connect women in tech and help to inspire young women to choose a job in IT. Women can connect through the community in... Show more

Andreas Hähnel

Andreas Hähnel

I work with Microsoft Cloud technologies since 2013 as a Consultant and Cloud Solution Architect. In these roles, I've helped many companies to successfully fulfill their cloud journey to Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure. Cloud journey and transition also means a high amount of process automation, which I cover with my PowerShell scripting skills. My personal goal is to make cloud technology and hybrid scenarios easily understandable for everyone. With this purpose in mind, I've founded my own company.

I work with Microsoft Cloud technologies since 2013 as a Consultant and Cloud Solution Architect. In these roles, I've helped many companies to successfully fulfill their cloud journey to Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure. Cloud journey and transitio... Show more

Selena Small

Selena Small

Selena is a full-stack product engineer at Fresho in Melbourne Australia who is particularly passionate about TDD. As a self-taught coder with a background in management, she is well-equipped to mentor others. She is a recently retired champion kickboxer and fills her spare time with international travel, speaking at tech conferences and board appointments.

Selena is a full-stack product engineer at Fresho in Melbourne Australia who is particularly passionate about TDD. As a self-taught coder with a background in management, she is well-equipped to mentor others. She is a recently retired champion kickb... Show more

Mandi Walls

Mandi Walls

Mandi Walls is a DevOps Advocate on the Community and Advocacy Team at PagerDuty. Before joining PagerDuty, Mandi spent a number of years at Chef Software, working with customers and community members in the US and Europe. Originally a large-scale systems administrator, Mandi has focused on IT automation; organizational culture and change; and community.

Mandi Walls is a DevOps Advocate on the Community and Advocacy Team at PagerDuty. Before joining PagerDuty, Mandi spent a number of years at Chef Software, working with customers and community members in the US and Europe. Originally a large-scale sy... Show more

Florian Rappl

Florian Rappl

Dr. Florian Rappl is Solution Architect for IoT and distributed web applications at smapiot. His main interest lies in the creation of innovative architectures that scale in development and usage. He won several prizes for his work and is a Microsoft MVP in the area of development technologies. He regularly blogs and writes articles for popular magazines and websites in the web development space.

Dr. Florian Rappl is Solution Architect for IoT and distributed web applications at smapiot. His main interest lies in the creation of innovative architectures that scale in development and usage. He won several prizes for his work and is a Microsoft... Show more

Grishma Jena

Grishma Jena

Grishma Jena is a Data Scientist with the Product Excellence Office at IBM in San Francisco. As the only Data Scientist in the org, she supports 100+ user researchers and designers and uses data to understand user struggles and opportunities to enhance product experiences. She has received the Outstanding Technical Achievement Award (Major), one of the most prestigious company-wide awards, as recognition of her work.

She earned her Masters in Computer Science at University of Pennsylvania. Her research interests are in Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing. She has delivered 50+ talks and workshops across 10 countries including at PyCon US (largest Python conference in the world), QCon and LeadDev. She has also taught Python at the San Francisco Public Library and frequently guides school and university students.

Grishma is extremely passionate about encouraging, mentoring, and empowering people, especially women and students, in the world of technology. She has been recognized by the Python Software Foundation as a Fellow for her extraordinary efforts and impact upon Python, the community, and the broader Python ecosystem. She won the Silver Stevie Award for Changemaker of the Year (Gender) and was selected as one of Women Impact Tech honorees. She serves on the AI/ML Advisory Board for DevNetwork. She is also an ambassador for the Women in Data Science initiative, as well as a part of the leadership team for Society of Women Engineers - Golden Gate Section. In 2023, she was recognized by Women Who Code as one of 100 Technologists To Watch for her excellence, innovation, and leadership, and was also a finalist for Venture Beat's Women in AI mentorship award.

In her free time, she likes to write, cook, and explore new places.

Grishma Jena is a Data Scientist with the Product Excellence Office at IBM in San Francisco. As the only Data Scientist in the org, she supports 100+ user researchers and designers and uses data to understand user struggles and opportunities to enhan... Show more

Falek Miah

Falek Miah

Databricks Champion and Microsoft & Databricks certified consultant with over 15 years of experience in data, analytics, and Azure.

Specialises in designing and delivering end-to-end data platforms using Azure, Databricks, and the Power Platform, with a strong focus on automation, DevOps, and scalable analytics. Works closely with engineers and stakeholders to turn complex data problems into practical solutions.

An active member of the data community who enjoys sharing real-world lessons through talks, blogs and mentoring.

Outside work, enjoys running, swimming, football, and learning new technologies.

Databricks Champion and Microsoft & Databricks certified consultant with over 15 years of experience in data, analytics, and Azure. Specialises in designing and delivering end-to-end data platforms using Azure, Databricks, and the Power Platform, ... Show more

Mathias Thierbach

Mathias Thierbach

Mathias Thierbach is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and enterprise technology leader focused on bringing modern DevOps practices to the Microsoft analytics and cloud ecosystem. He is the creator and maintainer of pbi-tools, an open-source project that pioneered source control and DevOps for Power BI solutions, and the inventor and community contributor of TMDL, the emerging open standard definition language for Power BI semantic models.

Through his open-source work and community engagement, Mathias helps organizations adopt Git-based workflows, CI/CD automation, and scalable deployment strategies across Fabric, Power BI, and Azure. Beyond tooling, he shares practical insights from his journey as both an engineer and a leader—building high-performing teams and bridging the gap between business value and engineering excellence.

Mathias Thierbach is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and enterprise technology leader focused on bringing modern DevOps practices to the Microsoft analytics and cloud ecosystem. He is the creator and maintainer of pbi-tools, an open-source project that... Show more

Alexander Eggers

Alexander Eggers

My mission is to enhance workplace productivity through technology. As the founder of a successful company since 1996, with 80 employees, my expertise in business processes significantly aids in the adoption of Microsoft365, especially Microsoft Teams and Copilot, among our clients. I have spearheaded adoption workshops for SMBs since Microsoft Teams' launch in 2017, leading to numerous successful projects. Additionally, I support other partners in Microsoft365 implementations and frequently speak at industry events, including Microsoft conferences and virtual summits, to share insights and promote digital transformation. Since 2020 I am a Microsoft MVP and MCT for Microsoft365.

My mission is to enhance workplace productivity through technology. As the founder of a successful company since 1996, with 80 employees, my expertise in business processes significantly aids in the adoption of Microsoft365, especially Microsoft Team... Show more

Haja (Yadz) Rambelontsalama

Haja (Yadz) Rambelontsalama

With a zest culture hacker and a dose of product coach, I wear the mask of product manager on a daily basis. I like to take care of a close-knit team crafting a software that works in a healthy and psychologically secure environment.

Avec un zeste de culture hacker et une dose de coach produit, je porte le masque de product manager au quotidien. J'aime m'occuper d'une équipe soudée qui conçoit un logiciel qui fonctionne dans un environnement sain et psychologiquement sûr.

With a zest culture hacker and a dose of product coach, I wear the mask of product manager on a daily basis. I like to take care of a close-knit team crafting a software that works in a healthy and psychologically secure environment. Avec un zeste... Show more

Paul Papanek Stork

Paul Papanek Stork

Paul is the Owner/Principal Architect at Don't Pa..Panic Consulting. He has been working in the information technology industry for over 35 years, and has played key roles in several enterprise SharePoint architectural design review, Intranet deployment, application development, and migration projects. he has been awarded the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award for the last 18 consecutive years and earned his Microsoft Certified SharePoint Masters (MCSM) certification in 2013.
After working with SharePoint and Office 365 since their inception Paul has been focusing on the Power Platform for the last several years. He recently completed a book on Learning Power Automate and is a frequent contributor to the Power Platform Forums in the areas of Power Apps, Power Automate, and Copilot Studio.

Paul is the Owner/Principal Architect at Don't Pa..Panic Consulting. He has been working in the information technology industry for over 35 years, and has played key roles in several enterprise SharePoint architectural design review, Intranet deploym... Show more

Jake Walsh

Jake Walsh

Jake is an experienced Solution Architect working across Microsoft Azure, Hybrid Platforms, DevOps and Infrastructure as Code. He’s also a former Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) for Azure, Citrix CTA, and HashiCorp Ambassador.

Jake is an experienced Solution Architect working across Microsoft Azure, Hybrid Platforms, DevOps and Infrastructure as Code. He’s also a former Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) for Azure, Citrix CTA, and HashiCorp Ambassador. Show more

Aseem Wangoo

Aseem Wangoo

Software Technical Lead with 11+ years of experience building scalable, AI-powered products across fintech, safety, smart space, and industrial IoT. I currently lead high-transaction applications handling 100k+ daily users across Singapore, Australia, and Malaysia.

I’m a Google community contributor, open-source maintainer, and Top 3% Speaker (2023). Through my talks and writing, I focus on demystifying AI and sharing practical, hands-on insights that developers can apply immediately in their own projects.

Speaker at Cursor Delhi, Google Singapore.
Invited as a speaker to

- International Conferences FlutterCon Berlin
- Business conferences, Exito 2024, TechExpo Asia etc
- Tech Conferences, GDG Zagreb 2024, GDG Singapore 2024, Geekle 2024, DevFest SG 2023, Geekle 2021, DartUp and other tech communities

Software Technical Lead with 11+ years of experience building scalable, AI-powered products across fintech, safety, smart space, and industrial IoT. I currently lead high-transaction applications handling 100k+ daily users across Singapore, Australia... Show more

Bob Crowley

Bob Crowley

Bob Crowley is a Software Engineer near Portland Maine where he builds solutions in the .NET ecosystem. He has been writing bugs for over 20 years. He likes to author capture the flag challenges that have annoyed and entertained attendees of CodeMash, Granite State Code Camp and the Cyber Security Symposium at Manchester Community College. He is creator of Recover-Disc, a platform for helping those who throw discs at trees get their lost discs back and also MedalPile, a side hustle involving burning things with lasers.

In his free time, he likes to make the most of both weeks of Maine's summer either fishing out on the ocean or throwing discs at trees.

Find Bob on LinkedIn as contrivedexample

Bob Crowley is a Software Engineer near Portland Maine where he builds solutions in the .NET ecosystem. He has been writing bugs for over 20 years. He likes to author capture the flag challenges that have annoyed and entertained attendees of CodeMash... Show more

Dwayne Natwick

Dwayne Natwick

Dwayne is the CEO and Owner of Captain Hyperscaler, LLC. He was previously the Global Principal Cloud Security Lead for Eviden, an atos business. He is also a Microsoft MVP for Security and Azure, and an author, trainer, and product manager with over 30 years of experience in the IT industry. He is certified in AKYLADE Cyber Resilience, AI Security, and Risk Management; ISC2 for CC, CGRC, CCSP, CSSLP, SSCP, CISSP-ISSMP, CISSP-ISSAP, and CISSP; ISACA CRISC, CISM, CISA; EC-Council C|SCU and Associate C|CISO; CompTIA Cloud+; AI CERTs Ethics, Executive, Everyone, Prompt Engineer, Educator, Project Manager; CSA CCSK, and in multiple Azure and M365 roles, including Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect Expert, Azure Solution Architect Expert, AWS Solution Architect Associate, Azure Administrator Associate, Microsoft Security Analyst Associate, Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator Associate, Microsoft Information Protection Administrator Associate, Azure Security Engineer Associate, and Microsoft 365 Security Administrator Associate. He also has his AWS Solutions Architect Associate and PMI Project Management Professional.

In addition to creating curriculum, training, and blog writing, Dwayne is also an APMG Accredited Trainer for ISACA, an Authorized Trainer for AKYLADE, a Microsoft Certified Trainer and Regional Lead and an ISC2 Authorized Trainer. Dwayne has also authored three books for Packt Publishing that are available on Amazon at https://aka.ms/dwaynesbooks.

Dwayne is the CEO and Owner of Captain Hyperscaler, LLC. He was previously the Global Principal Cloud Security Lead for Eviden, an atos business. He is also a Microsoft MVP for Security and Azure, and an author, trainer, and product manager with ove... Show more

Arindam Mitra

Arindam Mitra

I am a Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) in Developer Technologies & Azure | Azure Cloud Solutions & DevOps Architect | Technical Blogger & Speaker Focused on Cloud Adoption, Architecture, Automation, Build and Run in Azure.

I am a Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) in Developer Technologies & Azure | Azure Cloud Solutions & DevOps Architect | Technical Blogger & Speaker Focused on Cloud Adoption, Architecture, Automation, Build and Run in Azure. Show more

Merab Tato Kutalia

Merab Tato Kutalia

Senior Engineering Manager. He’s an experienced international speaker, mentor and podcast host as well as a running enthusiast.

Senior Engineering Manager. He’s an experienced international speaker, mentor and podcast host as well as a running enthusiast. Show more

Ana Margarita Medina

Ana Margarita Medina

Ana Margarita Medina is a Sr. Staff Developer Advocate, she speaks on all things SRE, DevOps, and Reliability. She is a self-taught engineer with over 14 years of experience, focusing on cloud infrastructure and reliability. She has been part of the Kubernetes Release Team since v1.25, serves on the Kubernetes Code of Conduct Committee, and is on the GC for CNCF's Keptn project, When time permits, she leads efforts to dispel the stigma surrounding mental health and bring more Black and Latinx folks into tech.

Ana Margarita Medina is a Sr. Staff Developer Advocate, she speaks on all things SRE, DevOps, and Reliability. She is a self-taught engineer with over 14 years of experience, focusing on cloud infrastructure and reliability. She has been part of the ... Show more

Please note that Sessionize is not responsible for the accuracy or validity of the data provided by speakers.

Most Active Speakers 2023

Every year, we put together a list of the most active speakers. This list features the top 3% of speakers who have participated in events using Sessionize during the 2023.

The 3% is calculated from the pool of all speakers that have at least one accepted session in year 2023. We don't include inactive speakers or speakers that had no accepted sessions during the year. There are around 25 thousand unique accepted speakers this year, the 3% is 771. Not all of them have their speaker profiles set as public, and we respect that, so the list doesn't show all of them.

The calculation is based on the number of accepted events, that's the main criteria, but to get more refined results we also look at things like multiple sessions per event, sharing a session with a co-speaker and how big the event is. Number of submissions and declined sessions don't affect the list.

Please note that the count of events and sessions in this list does not represent the number of events and sessions from the year 2023. Instead, it shows the number of events and sessions featured on the speaker's public speaker profile; these numbers have nothing to do with the award itself.