How to impress the DB Awards judges

With entries for The Drinks Business Awards 2026 coming in thick and fast, Sarah Neish speaks to some of the judges about the highs and lows of assessing the accomplishments of the trade, as well as how to boost your chances of winning.

Entries are pouring in for The Drinks Business Awards 2026, with the closing date fast approaching on 17 April. You can submit your entries here, choosing from categories including Best Design & Packaging (sponsored by O-I), Best Drinks Launch, PR Company of the Year, Social Media Campaign of the Year, Drinks Event of the Year, Fine Wine Retailer of the Year and Multiple Retailer of the Year.

With the quality of entries consistently high and competition stiff, each year db enlists a crack team of experts to help judge the awards. The judging panel brings together a wealth of experience across different corners of the drinks trade from marketing gurus to wine educators, who leave no stone unturned when it comes to interrogating the innovations and achievements from the last 12 months.

“I must have been a judge in The Drinks Business Awards for about 10 years now, and some of the most interesting parts have been seeing the sheer diversity of our trade,” said Jonathan Pedley MW, who has a degree in Biochemistry and has acted as a wine consultant for a major wholesaler, a major importer, an internet wine company and a South African winery, among many other achievements.

“Outsiders might think that the booze industry is boring and predictable, but actually there is a huge amount of innovation and creativity going on.”

Reaching a consensus

And while one might picture the judges fighting tooth and nail for their favourite entry to be selected (anyone else been watching the America’s Next Top Model documentary on Netflix…?), Pedley said that members of the DB Awards panel are often dismayed to find themselves on the same page. “The surprising thing is how often we quickly reach a consensus. On several occasions I have gone into a discussion expecting to be the outlier, only to discover that everyone feels the same way.”

For Nicola Burston, CEO of The Drinks Trust, which provides financial assistance, emotional support, and opportunity for growth to drinks industry people, it’s a chance to keep an ear in with what people are creating and doing.

“This is my second year acting as a judge in the DB Awards and I love seeing what’s new in the industry; the creativity and the flair,” she said. ” I also love our debating sessions with the other judges [which often take place over Zoom]. It reminds me sometimes of that famous film, 12 Angry Men. It’s all good humoured really, though! And I’ve seen a few pets get involved on camera, which always lightens the mood.”

Pedley added that when all the judges get together, whether virtually or in person, assessing the more serious categories such as Drinks Company of the Year are broken up by “the occasional rant or saucy bit of gossip, which lightens the tone”.

Toughest categories

But which categories tend to be the most competitive? According to Pedley “Best Product Launch tends to receive a lot of entries, although quantity does not always equate with quality!” And for Burston, “Trade Campaign of the Year always seems to be hotly competed, but I love judging the Best Trade Event, which is where we really get to see the energy behind the entries.”

One of the boons of judging The Drinks Business Awards is that no matter how long you have been involved with the trade, there is always the chance to learn something new. “The PR professionals who have been fellow judges have taught me what is possible (or not) depending on the budget available,” Pedley revealed.

This enlightenment can also involve a spot of self-discovery. “I’ve learned that I am not as crazy or ‘out there’ with my opinions as I thought I was. It turns out that there are others out there who think like I do!” said Burston. “However, she cautions any future DB Awards judges to be prepared to dedicate the time to the process that entries deserve. “These are really well thought-out entries that require a good amount of time to read and digest and, sometimes, interpret what the entry is actually trying to convey. They all deserve time, and an equal amount of effort to read as they took to produce.”

Despite the truth of her words, there is also something to be said for the value of brevity. For those hoping to take home a trophy in the 2026 awards, Pedley recommends “keeping pitches short and to the point; facts not waffle. And avoid using cliches like ‘passionate’, ‘curate’ and ‘philosophy’ in your entry.”

Impact, too, must be measurable. “The more detail you can give about the impact your campaign/launch/team has had, the better,” said Burston.

The ceremony

All awards will be presented at a live ceremony held at London Olympia during London Wine Fair on Tuesday 19 May 2026. Pedley recalls the honour of being asked to present the winners with their trophies on-stage. “There follows several minutes of hypertensive angst as one tries to familiarise oneself with the script so that on stage one appears to have known the winning person, company or product since kindergarten,” he quips.

We would like to wish all entrants the very best of luck, and if you have any queries regarding your entry please contact Melissa Crawley at melissa.crawley@unionpress.co.uk

Related news

Don't miss your chance to enter the DB Awards 2026

Who won what and why at The DB Green Awards 2025

db receives record number of entries for this year's Green Awards