Identifying outstanding products, services, providers and brands is Canstar Blue’s bread and butter. Letting consumers know about the ones that are truly innovative is the icing on our cake! Canstar Blue’s Innovation Excellence Awards recognise products, services and initiatives that our experts believe are game-changing breakthroughs that improve the everyday lives of customers.
Submissions for the Innovation Excellence Awards 2024 are now closed. Read more about 2024’s winners below.
If your brand or business has an innovative product, service or initiative, we want to hear from you. Stay tuned for the Innovation Excellence Awards 2025 entry form.
More’s agreement with the CommBank to integrate the CommBank Yello program allows eligible customers exclusive offers and discounted pricing on their NBN and mobile plan fees. This allowed for the More and Commbank partnership to provide unique saving solutions to CommBank customers for both NBN and mobile services, to help ease cost of living pressures.
In 2021, CommBank took a 25% equity stake in More, which was then increased to 30% in 2023, which saw the first major partnership between a one of the big Australian banks and a telecommunications provider. This allowed More’s customers to access their account details and usage information within the CommBank app, in addition to the savings offered to CommBank customers who switched to a More NBN and/or mobile plan.
“Winning Canstar Blue’s Innovation Excellence Award for our CommBank Yello integration is a testament to our commitment to reshape the telecommunications landscape,” More CEO Andrew Branson said. “Our seamless collaboration with CommBank on Yello enables us to recognise customer loyalty while at the same time helping them to ease cost of living burdens on essential services.”
Vodafone’s $5-a-day roaming revolutionised international roaming for Aussies travelling overseas and its new in-flight roaming service was the next step in keeping customers connected — even up in the air. Its use of satellite technology enables customers to safely use their mobile services during their flight, whether it’s for making calls, sending texts or using data.
As with $5 international roaming, eligible Vodafone customers are able to use their standard plan inclusions (unlimited data not included) on select flights with certain airlines — including Emirates, Etihad Airways and Singapore Airlines — for $5 per day. This demonstrates Vodafone’s commitment to offering its customers much more than a standard service and could help pave the way for the next step in how we use our phones while travelling.
2023
2022
2021
2020
2015
Innovation comes in many forms, but what does Innovation Excellence mean to us, and how do we determine it? We’ve created a methodology to allow us to determine winners consistently and without bias.
Read our Innovation Excellence Methodology
Dreame offers a range of robot vacuums with intelligent features. Most notable is the Mop-Extend™ technology with position-sensitive detectors for precise edge and corner cleaning. The judging panel was impressed with the Mop-Extend feature that allows the vacuum to get closer to edges and walls for thorough cleaning, even in hard-to-reach places around the house. Mop-Extend™ is available on a number of Dreame robot vacuums.
The Samsung AI Family Hub™ refrigerator and oven with AI Camera has advanced features for an even smarter kitchen experience than previously offered. The refrigerator uses AI Vision Inside to manage food use and expiration, suggest recipes and updates real-time grocery lists through the SmartThings ecosystem for seamless food management. The oven has an AI Pro Cooking Camera that lets users monitor the cooking process from their smartphone, allowing them to check the status of their dishes without entering the kitchen. Integration with the refrigerator permits users to select a recipe based on the available ingredients, then share that recipe with the oven for preheating while undertaking food prep, potentially saving both time and food wastage. With AI capabilities a popular talking point for consumers, the judges were impressed with both the refrigerator and oven’s AI features and smart integration.
The modern design of Saphirmatt 5 Zone Induction Cooktop offers both elegance and innovation. Convenient features such as the Hob2Hood, PowerBoost, Heat Memory and the Pause Function enhance ease of use, allowing users to cook without interruptions. The DoubleBridge zones – variations of which are available in similar appliances – provides flexible cooking options for large pots or long pans, adding to the cooktop’s versatility. The anti-fingerprint matte finish was the most notable feature for the judging panel, solving a common maintenance problem by offering what AEG claims is up to four times greater protection against scratches than a conventional ceramic hob without compromising aesthetics.
The Miele combination steam oven with HydroClean is a versatile, space-saving appliance that combines a traditional baking and roasting oven with a steam oven, albeit at a premium price point. Offering three cooking methods in one unit allows for precise adjustment of temperature and moisture levels. The oven can also be integrated into existing smart home functionalities, as is the case with many higher-end appliances at present. The HydroClean self-cleaning function, however, was the standout feature for the judges, who were impressed with the convenience it would bring to consumers in the market for a self-cleaning oven, particularly given that it uses a different method to the common pyrolytic cleaning feature of other self-cleaning ovens.
The ghd Chronos is a professional hair-styling tool that claims to offer three-times faster styling while achieving longer-lasting results and minimising hair damage. The styler features HD motion-responsive™ technology for precise heat monitoring so the optimum styling temperature is maintained, ultra-gloss ceramic plates to add shine to hair, a re-engineered wishbone hinge to maintain plate alignment and an ergonomic design intended to make the process of creating multiple styles easier. The integrated sleep mode adds safety and energy efficiency elements to the product offering. With hair care a strong focus for consumers looking for hair tools, the judges were impressed with ghd’s continued advancement of its existing technologies. They also noted that in a competitive, innovative appliances sector the HD monitor was a standout feature unique to ghd.
The Nokia G42 smartphone stands out with its unique self-repairability features, allowing users to fix cracked screens, bent charging ports and replace batteries themselves without voiding the warranty. The phone itself offers 5G connectivity, three-day battery life and a 6.56” HD screen for an affordable price. The phone’s ease of repair, supported by iFixIt, makes it ideal for consumers that want device longevity and without the expense of repair or replacement. The judges recognised that the self-repairability feature of this new smartphone was particularly relevant in the current cost-of-living environment, as well as catering to consumers who value sustainability in their technology purchases.
Cleaning Appliances
2023
2022
2021
Kitchen Appliances
2023
2022
2021
Personal Appliances
2023
Smart Devices
2023
Home Entertainment Appliances
2022
2021
Laundry Appliances
2021
Outdoor Entertainment Appliances
2021
Heating & Cooling Appliances
2021
General Appliances
2016
2015
2014
In addition to Appliances, Energy and Telecommunication innovations, Canstar Blue also investigated innovations within the automotive space, with the previous winners listed below.
2015
Innovation comes in many forms, but what does Innovation Excellence mean to us, and how do we determine it? We’ve created a methodology to allow us to determine winners consistently and without bias.
Read our Innovation Excellence Methodology for Appliances
Xero has partnered with sustainability fintech Cogo to allow businesses to understand, track and potentially reduce their carbon footprint via the Business Carbon Manager (BCM). Available through the Australian Xero App Store, the BCM pulls transactional data from Xero, such as money spent on electricity, fuel and daily expenses, providing a business with its carbon footprint based on these expenditures. Businesses can then benchmark their emissions profile against industry and regional averages, in addition to setting reduction targets, empowering them to make more sustainable decisions.
Innovation comes in many forms, but what does Innovation Excellence mean to us, and how do we determine it? We’ve created a methodology to allow us to determine winners consistently and without bias.
Read our Innovation Excellence Methodology
SENEC.Cloud allows eligible households to store surplus solar energy exports, virtually, on top of their existing solar battery storage capacity. SENEC.Cloud is offered in conjunction with energy provider Diamond Energy and is available to households across New South Wales, Victoria, south-east Queensland and South Australia with an eligible SENEC battery storage system.
Unused energy is stored as a virtual ‘credit’ in a customer’s SENEC.Cloud which can then be imported and used by customers as needed. Households currently have access to up to 500 kilowatt hours (kWh) per quarter through the virtual SENEC.Cloud package. However, up to four additional packages can be purchased. SENEC.Cloud allows households to further their energy independence and get more flexibility and value from their solar system.
2022
2021
2020
Innovation comes in many forms, but what does Innovation Excellence mean to us, and how do we determine it? We’ve created a methodology to allow us to determine winners consistently and without bias.
Read our Innovation Excellence Methodology
Canstar Blue offers a range of commercial and organic opportunities for winning brands that want to let the world know they’re the best in their field. Our Commercial Team is ready to help you maximise your win!
Got some questions about how the Innovation Excellence Award works, or want to get your brand involved? Check out the questions below, or head to our FAQ page.
The Canstar Blue Innovation Awards are based on submissions put forward by brands who believe that they’ve created or championed something that can be one giant leap forward for their industry, or for consumers in general. Our panel of research experts then judge these entries, using our unique methodology, to determine how innovative the entry is, as well as how much of an impact it will have on consumers.
Entering the Canstar Blue Innovation Excellence Awards is as easy as applying via the Entry Form on this page and detailing your innovation. Entries are open all year-round, with the Innovation Excellence Award results released once per year.
