TechForce Foundation has opened public voting for its 2026 Techs Rock Awards, with 12 student and working technicians competing for two Grand Prizes at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

Nearly 800 nominations from 46 states were narrowed down by a panel of eight industry judges with the finalists representing six career categories, including automotive and motorsports, diesel, collision/restoration/welding, aviation/motorcycle/marine, emerging technologies, and HVAC.

“These twelve were put forward by the people who work next to them every day, and then chosen by some of the most respected names in this industry,” said Jennifer Maher, CEO of TechForce Foundation. “When the public votes, they’re telling every young person thinking about this path that the work matters, and so do they.”

Public voting is open through October 12 at TechForce.org/Vote.

The two Grand Prize winners—one student and one working technician—will be recognized at the SEMA Show November 5-6. Each category winner receives a 224-piece Carlyle Master Tool Set and multipurpose stool valued at $1,500. The Grand Prize winners also receive a Las Vegas trip, SEMA Show access, SEMA Fest tickets, and an expanded Carlyle tool package valued at $8,000.

Representing the diesel trade are are Dylan Bliss, a Universal Technical Institute student in Orlando, Florida, for the Future Tech Award, and Haade Ramadan, who wrenches for Penske Truck Leasing in Philadelphia, up for the Working Tech Award.

Ramadan, a diesel tech II for Penske, leads shifts and performs roadside repairs, with a focus on mentoring junior techs to become true troubleshooters and not just parts swappers.

Upon graduation, Bliss will be a third-generation diesel tech and has his sights set on becoming a master tech someday. He told TechForce: "Someday, I want to look back at the beginning of my career and know that this was one of the moments when someone saw potential in me, and that I spent the rest of my career proving them right."

Here are the other category winners: 

Future Techs (Students)

• Automotive & Motorsports: Trey Walker, CMU Tech at Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, CO
• Diesel: Dylan Bliss, Universal Technical Institute, Orlando, FL
• Collision, Restoration & Welding: Haley Lau, Central Carolina Community College, Sanford, NC
• Aviation, Motorcycle & Marine: Jeremy Echavarria, Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology, Riverside, CA
• Emerging Technologies, presented by Hertz: Laila Quezada, Southwest Technical College, Cedar City, UT
• HVAC, Homes & Buildings, presented by Carrier: Justin Fernandez, Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, NY

Working Techs (Professionals)

• Automotive & Motorsports: Jon Donnell, Mevert Automotive & Tire Center, Steeleville, IL
• Diesel: Haade Ramadan, Penske Truck Leasing, Philadelphia, PA
• Collision, Restoration & Welding: Tajdana “Kleo” Hallenbeck, Lincoln Tech graduate, Columbia, MD
• Aviation, Motorcycle & Marine: Nathalie Ortiz, Aviation Institute of Maintenance graduate, Phoenix, AZ
• Emerging Technologies, presented by Hertz: Kain Kimberlin, Aggreko, Pearland, TX
• HVAC, Homes & Buildings, presented by Carrier: Henry Grigsby, Pinnacle Career Institute, Kansas City, MO

TechForce said the awards have recognized 82 students and working technicians since 2018.