The British Guild of Beer Writers Annual beer writing competition now open

The British Guild of Beer Writer’ Annual beer writing competition is now open for entrants with £8,500 prize money for country’s top talent.

The British Guild of Beer Writers today launches its annual competition for beer writing. Entries are invited in seven categories, with a total of £8,500 prize money for those whose work is judged best to 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, in-house magazines and podcasts can all be submitted, either by the creator or on their behalf by a publisher, associate or admirer.

Guild chairman Tim Hampson said:

“The British Guild of Beer Writers celebrates its 25th birthday this year and the awards have always been the cornerstone of our efforts to promote beer and pubs. We look forward to receiving, once again, a diverse range of entries that reflect the enthusiasm, expertise and professional talent of those who communicate about our national drink.”
Tim Hampson, Guild Chairman

Judging this year’s entries is a panel of judges chaired by Pete Brown, current Beer Writer of the Year and including: Bill Dobson, head brewer at SA Brain; David Wilson, public affairs director at the British Beer & Pub Association and Craig Woodhouse, political correspondent at The Sun and part of the team which spearheaded the newspaper’s successful campaign to abolish the beer duty escalator.

The category winners and runners-up will be unveiled at an Awards presentation dinner 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 or brewster at the same event.

Entries and nominations are invited for seven categories:

  1. Molson Coors Award for Best Writing in National Media – prize £1,000 for winner and £500 for runner-up
  2. Adnams Award for Best Writing in Regional Media – prize £1,000 and £500
  3. Fuller’s ESB Award for Best Writing for the Beer and Pub Trade – prize £1,000 and £500
  4. Brains SA Gold Award for Best Use of Online Media – £1,000 and £500
  5. Greene King IPA Travel Bursary – prize £1,000 and £500
  6. Shepherd Neame 1698 Award for Beer and Food Writing – prize £1,000
  7. Thwaites Award for Corporate Communications – prize trophy to the winner

The winners will be announced at the British Guild of Beer Writers annual awards dinner. This will be held on Thursday 5 December in central London and will, as in previous years, be one of the beer industry’s ‘must attend’ events. The hotel chef, with advice from beer and food matching experts within the Guild, will create a menu to delight and challenge the 200+ guests expected to attend.

For details on how to enter please visit  the British Guild of Beer Writers website

Entries must be received by the closing date of Friday 6th September, and must have been published between 1 September 2012 and 31 August 2013.

*Michael Jackson (1942 – 2007) who was also known as the beer hunter, dedicated more than 30 years to discovering, recording and then sharing the world’s finest beers in his many books, articles and TV programmes. He was the first Chairman of the British Guild of Beer Writers.