British Guild of Beer Writers annual competition open for entries

Open for entries | Journalists, writers, bloggers, broadcasters and photographers who communicate about beer or pubs are invited to enter the Guild of Beer Writers’ annual awards before the deadline of 2 September. This year’s competition offers entrants a choice of 16 categories – its highest-ever – and the chance to share in a GBP 17,500 prize fund.

Two new awards are being launched, for Best Communication About Diversity in Beer, and for Best Communication about Cider, the latter following the Guild’s decision to broaden its remit to support cider. At the same time, several categories have been reshaped to better reflect the way writers and others communicate about beer and pubs.

All category winners, runners-up and the overall Beer Writer of the Year as well as Brewer of the Year, will be announced at the Guild’s popular Awards Dinner, taking place on 23 November at One Great George Street in London.

All entries will be judged on how well they further the Guild’s mission “to extend public knowledge and appreciation of beer and pubs”. Judging is carried out by a panel of writers, communicators and industry experts chaired by Pete Brown, current Beer Writer of the Year.

This year’s judging panel includes: Mitch Adams, Beer Sommelier and beer buyer at Euroboozer; Molly Davis, head of communications at the BII; Claire Dodd, travel and drinks writer; Matt Eley, communications consultant and former editor of Inapub magazine; Fergus Fitzgerald, production director at Adnams; Kelly McCarthy CBII, licensee of the Old Sun Inn in Yorkshire; John Mitchinson, co-founder of crowfunding publishers Unbound; Ned Palmer, cheesemonger and author and Michelle Perrett, industry journalist and communications expert.

After initial judging, the Guild will publish a shortlist for all categories in November, and winners and runners up for each will be unveiled at the Awards Dinner. One category winner will go on to win the overall Beer Writer of the Year Award and the Guild also will also name its Brewer of the Year, sponsored by SIBA, based on votes cast by Guild members.

Tickets for the Awards Dinner, open to Guild members and industry friends, will go on sale on the Guild website later this year.

Full details of all categories, and advice on how to submit entries, can be found on the Guild’s website at https://www.beerguild.co.uk/. Entries must be received via the dedicated entry website by the closing date of 2 September and work submitted must have been published between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2022.