SIBA Business Awards 2026
The SIBA Business Awards seek to congratulate excellence in the brewing industry across a variety of categories, from pump clip, can and bottle design, to efforts taken by brewers to make their business more sustainable, innovative or diverse, as well as naming the UK’s best pubs, bars and retailers of beer from independent breweries.
The Official Category Criteria for each of the awards can be viewed below.
New awards for 2026:
The Brewing Industry Individual Newcomer of the Year award recognises an individual who having joined the independent brewing industry in the last twelve months has made a significant and positive impact. This positive impact could be on the business, organisation or association they have joined or on the broader brewing industry over the last year
The SIBA member-voted Independent Beer Champion of the Year award seeks to highlight the beer industry individual who has had a hugely positive influence on independent beer over the last twelve months. This could be an individual who has delivered positive change or opportunities for independent brewers, championed a new industry cause, helped to create a more inclusive or diverse industry, or helped to shine a light on the sector in an impactful or innovative way.
SIBA Business Awards 2026: Official Category Criteria
Marketing Implementation
For all aspects of effective marketing and communication strategy, including general or specific campaigns, promotions, PR, social media activity, product launches etc.
Entries must stand out from the crowd for marketing initiative, effective communication, a PR opportunity seized, or imagination and creativity deployed in the increasingly competitive virtual world of social networking.
Sustainable Business
For taking the ethics of environmental awareness and sustainable business operation way beyond the norm, with either a single innovative initiative or a holistic strategy for sustainability.
Entries must show how measures implemented in the brewery, such as production processes, energy economies, recycling and packaging, are minimising environmental impact to the benefit of both brewery and community.
Community Engagement
This award highlights breweries who have shown an outstanding commitment to engaging with their local community, supporting local initiatives, or raising money for charitable causes through events and fundraisers.
Entrants should demonstrate how the brewery is integrated into and supports the local community; either through a single successful initiative or a range of activities which engage local people.
Individual Design
For a single design of bottle, can or pump clip that clearly stands out, gains point-of-sale market advantage and ultimately drives the purchase of a brewery product.
Strong traditional designs are welcome, but entries are also sought for contemporary and original artwork that puts a brewery’s beers at the forefront of the evolution of point-of-sale as an essential marketing tool.
Multiple entries from a brewery are welcome, but should be entered separately and any entries which contain a range of designs within a ‘concept’ or ‘brand’ should be entered into the Total Concept Design Category below.
Concept Design
For the design concept behind a range of beers from a brewery, or a brewery’s entire branding and design strategy.
Entries must provide details of all aspects of the design concept and how it creates a distinct market identity, setting the brand apart in an intensely competitive field.
Business Innovation
For breweries that have shown true innovation in their business. This could be anything from a bold export operation getting beer in to the hands of new consumers or an internal innovation which has improved efficiency or profitability.
This broad category should be entered by any brewery who believe they have done something innovative within the industry.
Commercial Achievement
The commercial achievement award should be entered by breweries that have experienced commercial success in one or all areas of their business. Whether it is a brewery starting from scratch or an established brewer expanding their reach, the commercial achievement award aims to highlight the most business savvy from our industry.
Diversity Champion of the Year
This award celebrates independent breweries who have made equity, diversity and inclusivity a central part of their business – be that with a focus on gender, sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic background, disability, neurodiversity, or age.
The winner will demonstrate an authentic commitment to creating a diverse workplace alongside tangible positive outcomes for your business and team. We are especially looking for schemes, policies, campaigns or other initiatives that can inspire the wider industry to follow suit.
Employer of the Year
This award highlights independent craft breweries who go above and beyond for the members of their team; empowering people to achieve more in their professional career, introducing initiatives and incentives which create a positive working environment, making efforts to promote diversity and inclusivity, or providing benefits or support mechanisms which encourage a happier healthier life for employees.
This award seeks to congratulate breweries who put their team well-being at the heart of their business.
Brewing Industry Individual Newcomer of the Year – New!
This award recognises an individual who having joined the independent brewing industry in the last twelve months has made a significant and positive impact. This positive impact could be on the business, organisation or association they have joined or on the broader brewing industry.
This category does not have an age criterion but entries must be newcomers to the independent brewing industry and the entry should detail the impact made over the last year (1st Nov – 31st October).
Best Collaboration
For the best collaboration between an independent craft brewery and another business, brewery, brand, project or event. This award seeks to highlight collaborations which amplify the reach of the businesses involved, appeal to new audiences, or create a commercial success to the mutual benefit of all involved.
The entry could be on a beer collaboration, product line, new business venture, festival or event partnership, and judges will be looking for innovative, exciting collaborations that capture the imagination of the target audience.
UK’s Best New Independent Brewery
This award aims to highlight the year’s most exciting and successful new brewery; whose impact on the industry, critical acclaim, or popularity with beer drinkers belies their short time in operation.
Judges will be looking for breweries that have achieved something remarkable in a short space of time, and entries should cover what your brewery set out to do and how this has been successfully achieved in the last twelve months or less.
This award is only open to breweries who have opened in the last year (1st Nov – 31st October)
UK’s Best Independent Brewery Taproom
For Taprooms which are located within, or in very close proximity to, working independent craft breweries.
Judges will be looking for an extraordinary commitment to serving the best quality and range of independent craft beers (including cask, keg, bottles or cans) in a welcoming and attractive environment.
This award is specifically for Brewery Taprooms and not for ‘Brewery Tap’ pubs or off-site ‘Taprooms’ not located within or near to the owner brewery. If you are a brewery with an off-site Taproom or Brewery Tap pub then you can enter this into the relevant Best Independent Craft Beer Bar or Pub category.
UK’s Best Independent Craft Brewery Webshop
This new award names the UK’s best independent craft brewery webshop. Entries should demonstrate how the brewery webshop offers a positive user experience, intuitive and attractive design, and of course excellent customer service.
This award is open only to webshops run by independent craft breweries on their own website, and is not for online retailers (for this see retailer category below).
UK’s Best Independent Craft Beer Retailer
This combined retailer award is open to independent beer retailers of all sizes and types; whether you are selling beer from a physical location or online. Entrants can be specialist craft beer shops or online retailers, or businesses which have recently shown a commitment to promoting independent craft beer, but must be an independent business.
Judges will be looking for evidence of great customer service, quality of beer range and a commitment to supporting independent craft breweries.
UK’s Best Independent Craft Beer Bar or Pub – City
For pubs or bars which have shown an extraordinary commitment to serving the best quality and range of independent craft beers (including cask, keg, bottle or can). This award is specifically for pubs or bars located in urban, city, town centre, or suburban locations across the UK.
UK’s Best Independent Craft Beer Bar or Pub – Rural
For pubs or bars which have shown an extraordinary commitment to serving the best quality and range of independent craft beers (including cask, keg, bottle or can). This award is specifically for pubs or bars located in rural, village, or isolated locations across the UK.
Brewers’ Brewer of the Year (Brewer nominated)
This new member-voted award seeks to highlight the brewer who has had the biggest positive influence on our industry in the last twelve months, either through producing truly outstanding beers, delivering change for the industry, or giving back to the brewing community.
Nominations for the brewer of the year come from fellow brewers and should highlight the impact they have had on the industry in the last twelve months.
Supplier Associate of the Year (Brewer nominated)
This award seeks to highlight the UK’s best SIBA Supplier Associate and is SIBA Brewing Member nominated.
From brewing ingredient suppliers and brewery fabricators, to business consultants and agencies, The Supplier Associate of the Year is a company which has shown a real understanding of brewery needs and actively supported independent craft brewing businesses throughout the year.
Independent Beer Champion of the Year (Brewer nominated) – New!
This new member-voted award seeks to highlight the beer industry individual who has had a hugely positive influence on independent beer over the last twelve months. This could be an individual who has delivered positive change or opportunities for independent brewers, championed a new industry cause, helped to create a more inclusive or diverse industry, or helped to shine a light on the sector in an impactful or innovative way.
Nominations for the Independent Beer Champion of the Year can be made by anyone SIBA Member
SIBA Brewery Business of the Year (Judging Panel awarded)
This judges’ choice award is the top prize at the SIBA Business Awards and is presented to the brewery who have, across a variety of areas, shown themselves to be running an outstanding brewing business which sets themselves apart from the competition.