In the fall of 2025, the Valnet Auto portfolio sites did something remarkable. Across CarBuzz, HotCars, and TopSpeed, the voices of dozens of reviewers, writers, hosts, and editors were brought together under a single shared awards program. Rethinking how automotive awards are conceived and delivered.
Publishing some 24 articles, 8 videos, and a host of social media touchpoints, the first-ever Buzz Awards reached an audience of millions. More than a year-end content push, the program showed how the Autos teams could operate at scale, combining reach and editorial credibility in a way that makes us unique in the industry.
Why Awards Still Matter
Today, every product category is dissected by a thousand Reddit threads, social hot takes, and paid content marketing. What’s become rare is critique rooted in sustained access and expertise.
In automotive media, access to new product has been democratized. Influencers can reach huge, casual audiences simply by being first to post. But the authority to distinguish between what is merely good and what is genuinely great still requires the work of dedicated experts.
The Buzz Awards shine a light on those experts at our titles, and help to clarify for readers exactly which vehicles stand out from the herd and are worthy of their time and money. The effort required for a world-class accolade program is high, but the rewards in credibility and marketing potential make that effort worthwhile.
Before The Buzz: Three Sites, Three Philosophies
CarBuzz, HotCars, and TopSpeed are not interchangeable car sites with different URLs. Each speaks to a distinct reader. CarBuzz wants to inform and empower, with extensive news and exhaustive review content. HotCars leans into car culture and the personal connection people form with their vehicles. Different voices, serving different readers.
Historically, each site also ran its own year-end awards. The work was strong, but operating in parallel limited the authority the portfolio could have exercised as a whole. The opportunity wasn’t to replace those perspectives but to bring them into conversation.
The Buzz Awards were built around that idea. By combining testing data and editorial input from teams that collectively drive hundreds of new vehicles each year, the selection process became deeper and more rigorous. At the same time, each site kept the freedom to tell those stories in its own way.
A Unified Theory Of Car Awards
Last fall, we put all of this theory into practice with the first Buzz Awards, as a single, cross-brand program spanning all three sites.
Editors narrowed down hundreds of cars to three apiece in our seven categories: Performance, Budget, Luxury, EV, Family, Truck, and Off-Road Warrior (a throwback to the original CarBuzz awards that was too much fun to change). After publishing our shortlist of nominees, the teams reconvened to make the tough calls, selecting a winner in each category.
Because our process draws on multiple publications and dozens of voices, the Buzz Awards feel more like an industry accolade – think North American Car/Truck of the Year or World Car of the Year – rather than a buff book honor like Car and Driver’s 10Best. That rigor, even in year one, is what helps the program stand out.
Competing With The Best
Creating a successful accolades program is a long-term play. Doing so in the auto industry, well into its second century of existence, is longer still. People who have never picked up a copy of MotorTrend might still recognize that brand’s “Golden Calipers” trophy, as it’s been shown in print, TV, and digital ads every year since the late 1960s.
We can’t fake 80 years of exposure. But we can get crafty as disruptors in this tradition-bound arena.
The key is thinking of the Buzz Awards as a brand, rather than a series of awards. That means creating a visual identity that pops on our digital pages and scans on social platforms. With millions of monthly readers and followers, we have the reach to build brand recognition fast, something legacy titles often take for granted.
We also need to expand touch points beyond the year-end rollout – short-form videos and snackable content throughout the year, with consistent messaging to automaker PR and marketing teams. To establish the Buzz Awards, in other words, as a program that everyone knows and respects long before the winners are announced.
Walk, Run, Drag Race
If year one was about building the engine, year two is for bolting on the turbo, installing a big brake kit, and mounting some racing slicks. (You didn’t think you’d get out of here without a cheesy car analogy, did you?)
We’re looking for places to add Buzz Awards content on our editorial calendars, talking to industry friends about how to amplify the program, and picking the brains of our talented staff for fresh ideas to make this thing fly. Live events, trophy presentations, and driving experiences are all on the table.
In the long term, we want the Buzz Awards to become a reference point for the industry. A program readers trust, automakers respect, and a clear proof point for what’s possible when Valnet brands work together.
