NRA Announces Vincent Hancock as 2026 Golden Bullseye Competitor Award Recipient

SSUSA Staff

posted on January 5, 2026

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Hancock2026 Nraaward 2 — Vincent Hancock is the 2026 NRA Media Shooting Sports USA Golden Bullseye Competitor Award recipient, honoring his elite performance and lasting excellence in competitive shooting.

Photo by Joshua Schave

Vincent Hancock has spent decades redefining excellence in international skeet, and in 2026, the NRA made it official.

Shooting Sports USA, the NRA’s digital hub for competitive shooters, named Hancock the recipient of the 2026 NRA Golden Bullseye Competitor Award, recognizing not just unmatched results, but a career built on making an impact and giving back. The four-time Olympic gold medalist remains one of the most accomplished skeet athletes in history, a standard-bearer in a sport where longevity is as difficult as winning.

Vincent Hancock won his fourth men’s skeet gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, becoming the first shooting event athlete to capture four Olympic titles in the same individual event. (Photo by Joshua Schave)

Hancock’s résumé is already generational, but the award reflects more than medals. It acknowledges his ongoing commitment to coaching and growing the next generation of competitive shooters, a role he has embraced while continuing to compete at the highest level. His 2025 season featured multiple international podium finishes, reinforcing that his dominance is not confined to the past.

Now in its 24th year, the NRA Golden Bullseye Awards honor both innovation and individual achievement across the shooting sports landscape. Selected by a committee of experienced NRA Media editors and staff, the awards spotlight those who set the bar for performance and lasting influence.

“I’ve been with NRA since the beginning of these awards, and the Golden Bullseye Awards have become a coveted symbol of excellence and innovation in firearms, ammunition, optics and accessories,” said Executive Director of NRA Media Michael J. Sanford. “These decisions are not made lightly. I appreciate the time and energy put into not only reviewing these products for NRA members but also the deliberative process used by NRA Media’s editors in selecting the awardees.”

Hancock headlines a 2026 class that spans the full spectrum of the industry and community. Stephen P. Halbrook earned the NRA Golden Bullseye Freedom Award for his landmark legal work and scholarship defending the Second Amendment. Tanisha Moner was named NRA Women’s Woman of the Year for expanding firearms training through Legally Armed in Detroit. Anthony Imperato, founder and president of Henry Repeating Arms, received the Pioneer Award for decades of leadership and innovation in American firearms manufacturing.

The awards from American Rifleman and American Hunter recognize standout products across multiple categories, including the Tikka T3x Ace Target as American Rifleman Golden Bullseye Rifle of the Year, the Benelli Nova 3 Tactical 922R as Shotgun of the Year and the KelTec PR57 as Handgun of the Year, among others spanning optics, ammunition, suppressors and gear.

Still, the competitor spotlight belongs to Hancock, whose influence extends well beyond leaderboards. As an ambassador for the sport and a model of sustained excellence, he continues to shape what elite competitive shooting looks like in the modern era.

The 2026 NRA Golden Bullseye Awards will be presented during an invitation-only ceremony at the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Houston this April, where Hancock’s place among the shooting sport’s most impactful figures will be formally recognized.