In this year’s CUBEmadness, 64 of the best interviews in tech coverage went head-to-head in a battle to see who was declared THE tech superstar. From four Regionals came the contenders, powerful and moving interviews from Wikibon, theCUBE, SiliconANGLE, and #TechAthlete. Only one could emerge victorious in the CUBEmadness arena, and the votes have been counted.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have our CUBEmadness 2016 tech superstar champion …  

Two powerhouse contenders

Every guest featured in CUBEmadness 2016 was a worthy contender, but the battlefield finally narrowed the contest down to just two of the best interviews in tech journalism. Here are the details.

Tanmay Bakshi is a child app developer with Bakshi Software Solutions, Inc. Bakshi’s interview on theCUBE showcased his remarkable programming ability and youthful spirit. Bakshi described his journey through app development up to his most recent projects. It’s an inspiring look at how anyone — even from a young age — with a dream can play a role in the future of technology.

Sanjay Poonen is the executive VP and GM of end-user computing with VMware, Inc. During his interview on theCUBE, he spends some time telling the story of the future, a future that has come true. He talked about the growing popularity of mobile computing and how open standards are contributing to that growth. Poonen also explained the importance of open APIs to help more people plug into the mobile ecosystem. It’s a visionary talk.

The envelope please …

The dust has settled, and the Finals of CUBEmadness are over. Your votes have been counted,  and the winner is … Sanjay Poonen!

The VMware veteran takes center stage in CUBEmadness 2016! A combination of industry experience and revelatory insight has led to this final victory, giving Sanjay Poonen the honor of becoming our CUBEmadness 2016 champion!

Thank you to everyone who voted in this year’s contest and to all the guests who have made these interviews so exciting to watch. There wouldn’t be a CUBEmadness without you. Be sure to come back for more of the best coverage in tech and more tech superstars throughout 2016!

And make sure to check out our winner below:

Photo by SiliconANGLE