XR Women Global honors three leaders at 2026 AWE ceremony

XR Women Global recognized Dr. Carolina Cruz-Neira, Wadooah Wali and Nonny de la Peña at its 6th Annual XR Women Awards during Augmented World Expo in Long Beach. The awards spotlight innovation, creative leadership and immersive work with real-world impact across the XR industry.

Why it matters: - The awards highlight women shaping immersive technology at a time when XR is expanding across research, entertainment and social impact. - XR Women Global used the ceremony to elevate leaders, student pathways and an inclusive industry network. - The recognition came during Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, one of the sector's key gatherings.

What happened: - XR Women Global honored three women at its 6th Annual XR Women Awards during Augmented World Expo in Long Beach, California, on July 6, 2026. - Dr. Carolina Cruz-Neira received the Innovation Award. - Wadooah Wali received the Trailblazer Award. - Nonny de la Peña received the Real World Impact Award.

The details: - Cruz-Neira is credited as a pioneer of virtual reality and the creator of the CAVE, or Cave Automatic Virtual Environment. - Her work supports room-scale immersive computing used in scientific research, engineering and training for NASA, the U.S. military and national laboratories. - Across nearly four decades, Cruz-Neira has secured more than $200 million in research funding and authored more than 100 publications. - Cruz-Neira has mentored students who now work at Google, Microsoft and Boeing. - Cruz-Neira is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, an IEEE Fellow, an inaugural inductee into the AWE XR Hall of Fame and a 2025 Forbes 50 Over 50 honoree. - Cruz-Neira serves as Agere Chair Professor and director of the Institute for Simulation and Training at the University of Central Florida. - Wali is co-founder, chief strategy officer and executive producer of New Canvas, an XR studio. - New Canvas has built partnerships with Meta and Google. - New Canvas was one of 13 companies selected for Warner Bros. Discovery and Acme Innovation's Collider On The Lot accelerator. - Wali is a producer and executive producer of When Brooklyn Was Queer, a LGBTQ+-led VR narrative executive produced by Elliot Page and PAGEBOY Productions. - When Brooklyn Was Queer was selected for the Venice Gap-Financing Market at the Venice International Film Festival. - New Canvas's The Obscura Society earned a 2026 Webby Award nomination. - de la Peña is widely credited with establishing immersive journalism. - de la Peña reconstructs real events using authentic data, spatial audio and immersive environments. - Her work places audiences inside stories of food insecurity, conflict and human crisis. - Experiences including Hunger in Los Angeles and Project Syria have reached audiences at the Sundance Film Festival, the World Economic Forum and leading museums. - de la Peña is a Peabody Award winner, founder of Emblematic Group and director of Arizona State University's Narrative and Emerging Media program. - Dr. Karen Alexander, co-founder and president of XR Women Global, said the honorees expand what XR can be and reflect the community's mission to advance the field while making room for more people to lead it. - Dr. Cruz-Neira said she was honored to be recognized by XR Women Global and credited female trailblazers, unconventional thinkers and disruptive innovators for shaping her career. - Julie Smithson, vice president of the XR Women Board of Directors, said XR Women turns connection into community and strengthens shared leadership in XR and AI. - The ceremony also spotlighted XR Women student programs. - Yuxuan "Linda" He, a Ringling College of Art & Design Class of 2026 graduate and former XR Women Student Chapter officer, spoke about opportunities to showcase her work and build industry connections.

Between the lines: - XR Women Global is positioning awards as part recognition event, part community-building platform. - The focus on student programs suggests the group is trying to build a pipeline of future XR talent, not just celebrate established leaders. - The mix of research, studio leadership and immersive storytelling shows how XR Women defines impact broadly across the XR ecosystem.

What's next: - XR Women Global said it welcomes partnerships and collaboration. - The organization will continue weekly virtual programs, student opportunities, in-person gatherings, a blog and a virtual art museum. - Membership remains open to anyone who supports an inclusive XR ecosystem.

The bottom line: - The 2026 XR Women Awards framed women as central to the future of immersive technology, from foundational research to creative production and public-impact storytelling.