The Gundie Awards 2025 Helping Wounded Special Ops Vets 

A Behind-The-Scenes Look At How The Gundies Operate  

After five years of growing success, most Hook & Barrel website readers are likely aware of the Gundie Awards—the firearm industry’s voter’s choice awards for content creators, brands, and writers. Many probably aren’t aware that the Gundies make a very sizable contribution to an important charity doing great work for America’s wounded veterans. 

Birth Of The Gundie Awards 

The Gundies were the brainchild of Will Renke and Ben Stacy, partners that founded Forge Relations, a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, a digital strategic marketing firm. According to Renke, the idea was to find a way to skirt the problem of gun-related content of Forge Relations’ clients constantly being hit with restrictions from YouTube and other social media platforms. 

As his agency began getting into the content creator game, it was able to use other people's channels with a very large following and influencers, as most industries do. But they quickly realized that the various aspects of the firearm industry tended to always be fighting against each other. 

“From that realization, we said, ‘How can we bring the community together as a whole and also somehow relate to mainstream media to where we were doing something that wasn't just 110% guns, guns, guns?’” Renke said. “We had to do it to where it was an entertainment factor, to where people outside of the industry could see this as being pretty cool. 

“At the end of the day, award shows are nothing new. We just wanted to do it in a little different way. So that's how the Gundies developed.” 

Renke said the first year or so many within the industry pushed back against the idea. In more recent years, however, the Gundie Awards have been embraced on a more widespread basis. The 2025 Gundie Awards, set to be presented on January 20 in Las Vegas, saw 12,000 nominations in 19 different categories. That number has been narrowed down to 600, and voting by the public is open through December 16. 

This year, Hook & Barrel Magazine has chosen to be involved with the Gundies, signing on as the exclusive sponsor of the Top 2A Writers category. 

“Though I was honored to personally have been nominated, I felt compelled to pass on the opportunity to our writers (who, too, were nominated),” said John J. Radzwilla, H&B Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief. “Without their work, we could not put out the great content we do.” 

The Gundies & SOWW 

Special Operations Wounded Warriors (SOWW) is a Myrtle Beach, SC-based nonprofit that provides unique outdoor experiences and targeted therapeutic treatments to the deserving men and women of our U.S. Special Operations Forces who have sustained wounds in battle and/or in significant service to our country. The organization believes that there is not a more deserving group of individuals than Special Operation Forces members who frequently stand in harm’s way for the protection of our freedoms, often with little or no recognition. 

Through funding from its sponsor, SOWW hosts hunts for wounded Special Ops vets, as well as providing service dogs to Special Operators—a much-needed resource for many vets suffering from PTSD and other combat-related wounds and injuries. 

The connection with the Gundies comes from Renke’s involvement with the organization, not only as a supporter and true believer in the mission. And for the 2025 Gundie Awards program set for January 20 at the Venetian Theater in Las Vegas, a portion of ticket sales will go directly to SOWW. 

“There are tons of amazing charities out there,” Renke said. “It's just hard to be able to have the funds to help everybody. So, you have to support something you really know. And I feel really good about SOWW because I know where the money goes and I know what they're doing with it.” 

Renke said that taking wounded Special Ops warriors on hunts helps them spend time with like-minded people, sharing their experiences and helping each other, while also getting a much-needed respite in the great outdoors. 

“We just got done with their Ohio deer hunt sponsored by Henry Rifles,” Renke said. “Throughout the year SOWW does multiple similar events that are experiences for injured veterans.” 

To Renke, the program through which SOWW provided wounded vets with service dogs is equally impressive. 

“The other big piece is they provide service animals for a lot of these guys, and that's something that is pretty special to see,” he said. “Watching a service dog that’s been trained for six, eight months be handed off to one of these guys is pretty special because you know that dog is absolutely changing that person's life.” 

Cheers For The Gundies! 

In the end, the combination of the Gundie Awards and Special Operations Wounded Warriors is a win-win for everyone. Industry participants are recognized for their work in a manner that can be embraced by the mainstream media. At the same time, ticket sales will help fund programs that help wounded Special Ops vets—heroes that all Americans owe a great debt of gratitude. 

Readers who want to learn more about becoming a SOWW sponsor or contributing directly to the organization can do so by clicking here or visiting sowwcharity.com. 

For more intel on the Gundies, please visit thegundies.com.