2026 Apex Award Wins for Computer and Software Magazines

Computer and Software magazines have won Publication Excellence awards from APEX, a leading annual competition for communications and publishers. The IEEE team is incredibly honored and excited to continue our mission of keeping IEEE members informed on major trends and developments in technology, engineering, and science.

The distinguished APEX Awards recognized two standout issues from the IEEE Computer Society:

• Computer was honored with the prestigious APEX Grand Award for the issue "Resilient and Sustainable Smart Communities" (December 2025).
• Software was honored with an APEX Award of Excellence for its issue themed "Reflections" (November/December 2025).

The IEEE Computer Society consistently receives recognition for providing trustworthy, credible resources across the computing discipline. Previous accolades include Computer receiving the 2023 APEX Grand Award for the issue “Software Engineering for Responsible AI,” and IEEE Software winning an APEX Award of Excellence in 2025 for “Well-being for Resilience — Developers Thrive!”.

Computer Magazine: A Human-Centric Vision for Smart Communities

Under the leadership of Dr. Jeffrey Voas, Editor-in-Chief at the time of publishing, the December 2025 issue of Computer observed a more community- and human-centric perspective on smart cities, amid growing interest in technology acceptance, equal access to digital infrastructures and devices, and privacy concerns rather than simply the technological advancements and advantages.

Addressing the award-winning issue's focus, the former Editor-in-Chief of Computer, who served from 2020-2025 and now serves as Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Security & Privacy magazine, stated: "It is wonderful that Computer has won two APEX Grand awards in four years. This honor belongs to the Editorial Board, authors, and staff. The December 2025 special issue was devoted to smart communities, but it contained a wide variety of other content. I am pleased that the APEX judges appreciated this other content in their written opinion. The diversity of content in Computer each month makes it a unique magazine."

The issue provides a collection of articles presenting cutting-edge research in the domain, exploring diverse and complementary challenges—from frameworks for rural development to specific applications in resource management. Altogether, they showcase how computational infrastructures can lead us to higher resilience and sustainability in the face of climate change, privacy concerns, and shifting global demographics.

IEEE Software: Reflections

The November/December 2025 issue, "Reflections", from IEEE Software was recognized for its offering practitioners learning resources, guidance, and summaries of the latest research of that year.

Reflecting on the achievement and the dedication of the team behind the scenes, Dr. Sigrid Eldh, Editor in Chief of Software stated: "As the current Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Software, I am immensely proud of our smart, passionate team covering the latest Software Engineering research for practitioners. It is a true testament to both IEEE Staff and Publications and the wonderful editorial board. With this message,  I also want to thank the APEX Awards Committee for choosing us, as I am sure this is not an easy decision given the many deserving competitors."

APEX Awards: Esteemed Publishing Distinction

APEX Awards for Publication Excellence reward outstanding work for corporate, nonprofit, and independent publications across a variety of media. APEX awards are esteemed stamps of approval to recognize excellence in writing, design, and overall communication. APEX gives these awards to the best journalistic endeavors that exceed its high bar of quality, and it appreciates modestly funded publications that showcase innovative strategies and effective communication.

IEEE Computer Society Publications

IEEE Computer Society's content is read by hundreds of thousands of computing professionals around the world seeking information on the latest in cutting-edge technologies and expert insights. Earning top spots in prestigious competitions like APEX showcases the publications' enduring impact in the field.

The IEEE Computer Society currently publishes and supports 51 journals and magazines, and the Computer Society Digital Library (CSDL) contains nearly a million articles including conference proceedings, back issues of previous publications, and video content.

About IEEE Computer Society

The organization's goal is to bring together computer engineers, scientists, academia, and industry professionals from all areas of computing at every phase of their careers. Computer Society publications consistently receive prestigious awards, demonstrating excellence and the ability to lead the global computer science and technology community.