Celebrating the People Who Make the Confectionery Industry Great!
The 2026 Kettle Award and IMPACT Award presentations will take place on Tuesday, May 19. in Las Vegas, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It will be an amazing gathering of industry leaders, friends, colleagues, and family coming together to celebrate the 2026 Kettle Award Recipient Anton Vincent, Mars Snacking, and the second IMPACT Award recipient Elaine Wu, Amos Sweets.
2026 Kettle Award Recipient
Anton Vincent
Mars Snacking
Since joining Mars in 2019, Anton Vincent has led a significant growth and earnings transformation, repositioning the company’s largest consumer portfolio to accelerate value creation and prepare it for the next horizon of growth. Through his leadership, he has helped the company generate annual sales of roughly $45 billion. Prior to Mars, Vincent built award-winning brands and led three divisions to record financial performance at General Mills. A boundaryless global leader, he is passionate about creating environments for sustained growth, transforming at the speed of tomorrow, and developing leadership talent. He serves as a voice for the industry, advocating for transparency, sustainability, and a stronger global position.
Vincent holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance from Sam Houston State University and a Master of Business Administration in marketing from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, where he sits on the Dean’s Council. He also serves on numerous industry boards and councils and has been recognized for his enterprise leadership.
2026 IMPACT Award Recipient
Elaine Wu
Amos Sweets
Elaine Wu is being recognized with the IMPACT Award for the innovation of Peelerz, a peelable gummi inspired by everyday sensory rituals and designed to deliver play, stress relief and emotional comfort. This innovation has become a viral social media trend and is now distributed to consumers worldwide.
Growing up in China during a time when sugar was scarce, Wu says she learned early that candy was more than a treat; it was a rare source of comfort, joy and emotional connection. That belief has shaped her career and innovation philosophy ever since. After graduating from university, she joined Amos Ma in 2004 and co-founded AMOS Sweets. Wu leads global market strategy, consumer insight and brand innovation for the company, now Amos Food Group, and under her leadership, the company has evolved from a traditional factory into a global, innovation-driven group exporting to more than 80 countries. In addition to being the visionary behind Peelerz, Wu has been instrumental in developing multiple world-first confectionery innovations, including 3D gummi building blocks and the first lollipop capable of recording and playing sound.