The British Guild of Beer Writers Awards are the only competition in the UK to recognize and reward serious writing and broader communication about beer and pubs .

The 2020 Annual Awards attracted close to 150 entries across nine categories including books, newspaper articles, blogs, and radio broadcasts.

The British Guild of Beer Writers was formed in 1988 to help spread the word about beers, brewing and pubs. And it’s currently chaired by Pete Brown, one of the UK’s most accomplished beer writers.

This year’s competition also included two new categories: Best Writing about No and Low Alcohol Beers, sponsored by Budweiser Brewing Group UK & Ireland and Best Beer & Pub Communications during Lockdown, sponsored by Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewer.

And now (drum roll please) this year’s winners…

The Michael Jackson Gold Award for Beer Writer of the Year 2020

• Lily Waite

Greene King Award for Best Beer Writer, Print Publications

• Winner: Roger Protz for The Family Brewers of Britain
• Silver Award: Mark Dredge for A Brief History of Lager

Heineken Award for Best Beer Communicator, Online

• Winner: Lily Waite for articles in Good Beer Hunting and Pellicle
• Silver Award: Claire Bullen for writing in titles including Imbibe and Independent Brewer

Asahi Award for Best Beer and Travel Writer

• Winner: Claire Bullen for writing in Good Beer Hunting and Imbibe
• Silver Award: Lily Waite for articles in titles including Ferment and Pellicle

Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company Award for Best Writing about Sustainability in Beer and Pubs

• Winner: Emma Inch for a series of programs on Fermentation Radio
• Silver Award: Anthony Gladman, for articles in Ferment
• Highly Commended: Will Hawkes for a report on Pubs and Sport for PubAid

Budweiser Brewing Group Award for Best Writing about No and Low Alcohol Beers

• Winner: Natalya Watson for the Beer With Nat podcast
• Silver Award: Malin Norman for article in On Tap magazine

Visit Flanders Award for Best Beer Broadcaster

• Winner: Jaega Wise for episodes on BBC Radio’s The Food Programme
• Silver Award: Natalya Watson for the Beer With Nat podcast

Shepherd Neame Award for Best Communication about Beer and Pubs during Lockdown

• Winner:  Emma Inch for the Fermentation in Isolation podcasts
• Silver Award: Lily Waite for various press articles and ‘Until Further Notice‘ zine
• Highly Commended: Richard Molloy for columns in Herald Express, Torbay

Harvey’s Tom Paine Award for Best Citizen Beer Communicator

• Winner:  John Stooke for Last Orders: A History of Pubs in Swindon
• Silver Award: Gabriele Bertucci for the What’s in the Glass podcasts

Guild Award for Best Beer Writer, Corporate Communications

• Winner: Brixton Brewery for the Characters of Coldharbour campaign

SIBA Award for Brewer of the Year

• Winner: Oliver Fozard, Rooster’s Brewing Co

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Supporters of the Guild include brewers, pub companies, and many suppliers associated with the brewing trade.