Our third year of seeking out inspiring, pioneering women in the communications field was the most challenging yet -- challenging only because it was hard to narrow down our lists, and even harder to select the winners.

It's an exciting time to be in the comms industry: Work is well underway on technologies that will fundamentally change how we work, live and communicate; there are ample opportunities for advancement; and progressive companies are answering the call to support, promote and empower the women in their workforce.

We were thrilled to have so many impressive women nominated for our three Women in Comms Leading Lights awards -- Most Inspiring Woman in Comms, Hedy Lamarr Award for Female Tech Pioneer of the Year and the Female-Led Startup to Watch. The judging was fierce in each category, but we ended up with 11 more-than-worthy finalists who have made either significant technical contributions to the industry or big strides in helping other women in comms (but usually both).

These three WiC awards are part of the broader Leading Lights Awards program. Find out which companies were shortlisted in the other myriad categories by reading: Leading Lights 2018: The Finalists.

The winners, and the identities of this year's Light Reading Hall of Fame inductees, will be announced at the Leading Lights awards dinner, which will be held during the evening of Monday, May 14, at at the Brazos Hall in Austin, Texas, the evening before the doors open to the Big Communications Event.

Be sure to book your seat or table before they sell out: All the details and contacts you need can be found right here.

Click on the links below to see our 11 worthy women to watch in 2018, and check back in the coming weeks for more on why each made it to the shortlists.

Most Inspiring Woman in Comms
A special award that seeks to recognize a woman who has worked tirelessly and effectively to advance the cause of women and girls in the next-generation comms industry.

Hedy Lamarr Award for Female Tech Pioneer of the Year
A special award that seeks to recognize a woman in the next-generation comms industry for her remarkable influence and technological contributions to the sector in the past year.

Female-Led Startup to Watch
Awarded to a startup that's seen as having considerable potential to disrupt the industry, advance technology and have a lasting impact.

To see the company our finalists keep, revisit 2017 and 2016's winners below:

— Sarah Thomas, Director, Women in Comms

Next page: Most Inspiring Woman in Comms

Most Inspiring Woman in Comms

Next page: Hedy Lamarr Award for Female Tech Pioneer of the Year

Hedy Lamarr Award for Female Tech Pioneer of the Year

Next page: Female-Led Startup to Watch

Female-Led Startup to Watch