Nominations open for the IWSC Achievement Awards

Nominations are now open for the IWSC’s Achievement Awards, which celebrate outstanding individual achievement within the wine and spirit industries.

These awards, which have received unprecedented interest in previous years, are the only accolades in the IWSC that honour individual achievement. The entry process is run solely on nominations, giving the industry the opportunity to contribute to the process and have their say about who they feel most deserves recognition, and anyone is welcome to enter the categories by nominating either themselves or someone else to be in with a chance of winning one of these prestigious awards.

The four awards up for grabs are split into two categories: communicators and outstanding achievement. Wine and Spirit Communicators of the Year recognise those who have made exceptional contributions to the industry by increasing public awareness, while the Julian Brind Memorial Trophy for Outstanding Achievement in the Wine Industry and the Outstanding Achievement in the Scotch Whisky Industry Trophy celebrate the achievement of excellence and innovation in the fields of wine and spirits.

Wine Communicator of the Year
Sponsored by Vinitaly

Wine Communicator of the Year 2017 was awarded to Joe Fattorini, best known for his work on ITV’s The Wine Show, which has been viewed in over 100 countries. He first fell in love with wine aged seven after drinking “quite a lot of [his] grandfather’s Latour ’45 at a party”, and has played a major role in the industry ever since as presenter, writer, seller – and born communicator.

Watch the interview of the 2017 Wine Communicator of the Year Joe Fattorini here.

Spirit Communicator of the Year
Sponsored by Chivas Brothers

Olivier Ward won the title of IWSC Spirit Communicator of the Year 2017 in recognition of his groundbreaking work in the world of gin. The expert is co-founder and editor of website Gin Foundry, which covers news and reviews of the gin industry, and is passionate about the stories behind the spirit. He also oversees an array of projects including workshops and masterclasses celebrating gin.

Watch the interview of the IWSC Spirit Communicator of the Year 2017 here.

The Julian Brind Memorial Trophy for Outstanding Achievement in the Wine Industry
Sponsored by Waitrose

The Julian Brind Memorial Trophy was received by journalist Nik Darlington this year, founder of Red Squirrel Wines, one of the fastest growing wine importers in the UK. The name of the importer was inspired by Darlington’s desire to source unusual and forgotten varieties, and he has been highly praised by judges for his originality, innovation and fresh approach to the industry.

The Outstanding Achievement in the Scotch Whisky Industry Trophy

This year, Dr Nick Morgan was awarded the trophy for Outstanding Achievement in the Scotch Whisky Industry, honouring his 20+ years of experience in the business. From joining Diageo in 1990, Morgan is a leading authority on Scotch whisky having worked in archives, marketing, heritage and now outreach. His knowledge, passion and dedication to the industry all made him a worthy winner of the award.

The celebration of the Achievement Awards culminates in the highly anticipated IWSC Awards Banquet at the end of each year, to which all the winners are invited and honoured for their achievements. The presentation of the 2017 Achievement Awards can be viewed via the IWSC’s Facebook page – by entering the competition, you too could be celebrating with us at the Guildhall in London next year.

How to enter

Nominations for the awards will be open until 31st January 2018. After nominations close, all nominees will be sent a form to provide further information about themselves, before a panel of expert judges deliberate to select the final four winners. Those who enter a nomination will also be in with a chance of winning the opportunity to judge on the final panel and help select the recipients of the 2018 Achievement Awards. Further details can be found on the IWSC website.