When the editors of Financial Planning sat down to decide which nominees deserved to win in each category in the magazine's second annual Influencer Awards, we found we had far too many worthy contenders. That was only natural: The financial planning community has consistently turned out smart individuals who strive to bring their best to clients and the profession as a whole. Of course, we could choose only one winner per category, but we felt compelled to name several notables alongside the winners given how strong some nominees were.

The Winners

In the Industry Contributor of the Year category, recognizing an advisor who's made extraordinary efforts to benefit the profession during the past year, our winner is David Grant, a young planner from Illinois. We were struck by Grant's enthusiasm and his willingness to take a leadership role as the founder of the National Association of Personal Financial Planners' Genesis group, a networking and support organization for new advisors. Our notable mention in the category is Eleanor Blayney, the CFP Board's consumer advocate. Blayney is dedicated to helping families of all income levels gain access to financial advice.

The award for Practice Management, for an advisor who's gone above and beyond to introduce innovative ideas to the industry, goes to Kathleen Miller. She has developed important ways to guide people, especially women, going through divorce. Andy Loving of Just Money Advisors in Louisville, Ky., is our notable in this category for his work incorporating community impact investments in portfolios.

The prize for Technology Innovator goes to Greg Friedman, an advisor and co-developer of Junxure software. His customer relationship management system is the standard in financial planning offices throughout the country. In this category we had two notables, Joel Bruckenstein, a prolific writer from Miramar, Fla., who helps advisors understand what is possible with the right technology; and Troy Onink, CEO of Strategee in Russell, Pa. Onink, an authority on education funding, has developed web-based tools advisors can use to help clients make financial choices when it's time to plan and pay for college.

The winner in the Wealth Creator category is Todd Millay of Choate Investment Advisors. Millay's work in reducing risk in his clients' portfolios by recognizing the frequency of black swan events has earned him the notice of colleagues. Legendary advisor Harold Evensky of Evensky & Katz is our notable in the category because he has helped generations of investors build wealth through his astute investment principles. According to the advisor who nominated Evensky, "His book [Wealth Management] is by far the best resource for financial advisors and wealth managers."

Recognition for being a dynamic Legacy Builder goes to an advisor who's working to further the careers of newcomers to the profession. That's been Alan Goldfarb's goal for close to 40 years as a mentor to new generations of planners.

Finally, the Lifetime Achievement Award was given to an individual who's served as a role model during a notable career. We chose Bob Veres, who, though not an advisor himself, is a voice of the profession through his newsletter, Inside Information. (Of course, Veres' provocative thoughts are also found in Financial Planning and on financial-planning.com.) Two notables in this category: Thomas A. James, son of Raymond James founder Bob James. The younger James became CEO of the firm in 1970. Also, Dan Moisand of Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo in Maitland, Fla. Moisand has excelled in various leadership roles at the national level, including as leader of the FPA.

The Kids Are Alright

David Grant's Genesis group is making sure newly minted fee-only planners have a network of peers with whom to share their journey.

The financial planning community is increasingly acknowledging that the profession lacks a well-laid career path for new entrants. While such a freewheeling structure may have well served the early, entrepreneurial generation of financial planners, for young people completing academic programs today, it leads to frustration.

David Grant, 29, a financial planning analyst with Vantage Financial Partners in Arlington Heights, Ill., understands this all too well. To help better explain the landscape to young planners, the winner of this year's Industry Contributor Award founded the Genesis group through the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors in 2010. "I approached NAPFA about starting a young planners' group and they said, 'Great, go ahead and start one,' " Grant says.

Already, Genesis is making an impact. In its first year, the group has attracted 85 members nationwide who keep in touch daily through an active forum on NAPFA's website, as well as groups on LinkedIn and Facebook, and via Twitter feeds.