Annual contest for beer writing now open

The British Guild of Beer Writers has launched its annual competition for beer writing, with the addition this year of a new award for the Best Young Beer Writer, designed to foster new writing about our national drink. The awards now include eight categories with a total prize fund of £ 9,500 for winners and runners up. All entries will be judged on how well they further the Guild’s mission “to extend public knowledge and appreciation of beer and pubs”.

The competition is open not just to writers, but to radio and television broadcasters, photographers, illustrators, designers – in fact, to anyone who communicates about beer or pubs. Books, national or regional press articles, websites, films, blogs, in-house or customer magazines and podcasts can all be submitted, either by the creator or on their behalf by a publisher, associate or admirer.

Judging this year’s entries is a panel including Will Dean, editor of the Independent magazine and Natalie Whittle, associate editor, FT Magazine. Chair of judges is Will Hawkes, current Beer Writer of the Year.

The category winners and runners-up will be unveiled at the British Guild of Beer Writers annual awards dinner, to be held on Thursday 4 December in central London in December, as well as the overall Beer Writer of the Year, who receives the Michael Jackson Gold Tankard Award. The Guild also bestows the ’Brewer of the Year’ title on one brewer at the same event.

Entries and nominations are invited for eight categories:

• Molson Coors Award for Best Beer Writer - National Media. Prize of £1,000 for winner and £500 for runner-up

• Adnams Award for Best Beer Writer - Regional Media. Prize £1,000 and £500

• Fuller’s ESB Award for Best Beer Writer - Trade Media. Prize £1,000 and £500

• Brains SA Gold Award for Best Beer Communicator – Online. Prize £1,000 and £500

• Greene King IPA Award for Best Beer and Travel Writer. Prize £1,000 and £500

• Shepherd Neame 1698 Award for Best Beer and Food Writer. Prize £1,000 and £500

• Thwaites Award for Best Beer Writer – Corporate Communications. Prize trophy to the winner

• British Guild of Beer Writers Award for Best Young Beer Writer – one prize of £500

Full details of all eight categories in the Awards, and how to enter, can be found on the British Guild of Beer Writers website: www2.beerguild.co.uk/?page_id=2162.

Entries must be received by the closing date of Friday 5 September, and must have been published between 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2014.