International Jerky Awards for Best Jerky of the Year

INTERNATIONAL JERKY AWARDS

The Annual Juried Awards competition rewards the Top Artisan Jerky creations of the Year.

Products from the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK are entered into this competition, and are sent to a select panel of food & wine media and industry judges located throughout North America. This panel tastes, reviews and votes on which they consider to be the “Top Artisan Jerky of the Year.”

In addition, the three “Best Jerky” award winners from this competition are given the title, “Official Jerky Partner of the TASTE AWARDS.”

WHAT ARE THE JERKY AWARDS?
The world is full of fantastic, delicious, and innovative jerky. That’s why our panel of experts tastes each year some of the best, and ranks and celebrates what they find.

Jerky used to be known as something that you ate when you were outdoors or being “rugged”, but today’s jerky is made from the finest ingredients, with unique combinations of flavors and techniques. It is truly an artisan creation, and is welcomed by even the most challenging of gourmets.

These creators deserve recognition, and they earn it every day.

There are lots of jerky brands, and sorting through them to find some of the best to eat, gift, or even sell can be a challenge. The JERKY AWARDS are great tool for anyone trying to discover a unique, award-winning, jerky.
OFFICIAL JERKY PARTNERS OF THE ANNUAL TASTE AWARDS
Recipients of this honor have the use of the title, “Official Jerky Partner of the TASTE AWARDS,” as well as the option to place jerky samples in the VIP and Celebrity Gift Bags at the TASTE AWARDS Red Carpet celebration in California (February/March).

The TASTE AWARDS celebrate the year’s best in food, fashion and lifestyle programs on television, in film, online, and on radio.

The Annual Awards have included appearances by stars, celebrities, producers and executives from networks and platforms such as the Food Network, the Style Network, Bravo, the Cooking Channel, TLC, Discovery, Lifetime, E! Entertainment Television, PBS, NBC, ABC, the CW, HGTV, the Travel Channel, HD Net, Hulu, YouTube, Sony Pictures, Vimeo, Vice, MyxTV and more.

AWARDS: RULES

Entries are judged in the following categories:

Best Ingredient Combinations
Best Flavor
Best Texture
Best Packaging
Highest Quality
Most Unique
Overall Experience

You may register additional products if the Registration is still open.

Types of Jerky:

Beef, Pork, Turkey, Chicken, Fish, Lamb, Game, Other Poultry/Bird, Vegan/Mushroom/Kelp
NEW: Jerky Award entries also allows Biltong, and Sticks to enter

Submissions should be sent to the Awards Organizers during the product shipment time period, who will create one submission package for each judge, which will be shipped shortly after the shipment deadline.

REGISTERED PRODUCT SUBMISSIONS SHOULD BE SHIPPED SO THEY ARRIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO BETWEEN JUNE 22 AND JUNE 26. PRODUCTS ARRIVING BEFORE OR AFTER THESE DATES MAY NOT BE JUDGED. ** Please do not send to arrive before June 22nd**

Approximately 13 samples of each product submission registered should be sent.

The Awards will be announced in late July/early August.

SUBMISSION RULES:

A) 1 to 3 product submissions allowed per Company per Competition, based on the number Registered. Send your Best or your Newest products.
B) Focus not on representing your entire product line, but on what represents your style and quality. Send only the Best or Newest products that you wish to be judged.

Note: Important to non-North American Submissions, check with Customs requirements before shipping in order to expedite timely arrival

ELIGIBILITY

For the safety of the tasting judges, all jerky entries need to come from licensed (your local Health Dept. approved, your local Business License issued) and in-business jerky makers or distributors.

JUDGES PANEL

Awards Judges are National and Regional Magazine, Newspaper and Blog Editors, plus Topic Experts, Local Chefs and Food Gurus. The judges panel information is published after judging has been completed.