Entries open for 2026 Australian Cider Awards
Entries have officially opened for Cider Australia’s 2026 Australian Cider awards to be presented on 15 October at Rydges World Square, Sydney.
“Our awards have a broad range of classes to allow all of the many versions of cider to be judged against their peers,”
The 15th annual award is the largest cider competition in Australia and is leading the standardisation and improvement of cider judging across the country.
Entrants will compete for accolades in 31 commercial classes, including ciders, specialty ciders and apple and pear spirits.
Judging of the awards will be held at the William Angliss Institute in Melbourne on 6-7 October.
The panel comprises of seven judges and four associates, bringing together expertise from across the alcoholic beverage industry.
The expert judging panel will be led by Chief Judge and wine and drinks writer, Max Allen who fills the top job formerly held by Briony Liebich, of consultancy Flavour Logic, who served as chief judge for the third and final time in 2025.
- Patrick Gardner, Kilchurn Wines
- Ren Delongarno, WINEQUIP
- Norman Lever, Bellevue Orchards
Japan’s Lee Reeve will also join the panel as the international judge for 2026. A highly regarded authority on cider in Asia, Reeve is a noted speaker regarding its cider scene, market, and industry.
He is the owner operator of inCiderJapan, a promotion and marketing consulting company and he is also the creator and organiser of the Japan Cider Cup Tasting Competition and International Cider Event.
President of Cider Australia and Chair of the awards organising committee, Warwick Billings, noted the strength of the craft cider category in Australia.
“Our awards have a broad range of classes to allow all of the many versions of cider to be judged against their peers,” said Billings.
He reflected on its continued development and maturity, with more ciders being produced, and increasingly 100 per cent Australian apples being used.
“Entering the awards is an excellent way to compare products against industry benchmarks in Australia, receive independent feedback from industry experts and potentially win a prize, and with early-bird entry fees applying for the next two weeks there is no better time to enter.”
Early bird pricing for members ends Friday 31 July with all registrations to close on Friday 11 September.
Full details on the award classes, style guide and conditions of entry can be found here.
Enter the 2026 Australian Cider Awards online here.