Why enter L.A. Spirits Awards?

L.A. Spirits Awards is committed to giving our entrants the best possible competition experience, followed by winner benefits beyond what other spirits competitions offer.

In addition to a diverse team of expert spirits judges, our Directors offer competition management expertise other competitions simply can’t offer, and post-competition programs strategically designed to help our winners build their brands and gain customers.

In short, L.A. Spirits Awards provides a bigger bang for your entry fee bucks.

How are entries judged?

First, note that “competition” is a bit of a misnomer. Every L.A. Spirits Award entry is first evaluated solely on its own merits—not in comparison other entries—to determine its medal worthiness. It is only when a product advances to the finals round that it competes against others in its category for a coveted “Best in Show” award.

For a complete description of our evaluation process, please visit our “How We Judge” page.

When does your next competition take place, and what is the deadline for receiving entries?

• Our 2026 judging will take place in Los Angeles on April 6 and 7. We will begin accepting entries on January 2.
• The final entry deadline has been extended to Friday, March 27.
• Once you’ve entered, your product samples must be shipped to arrive no later than Friday, March 27.

How do I enter?

That’s easy! Click on the LOGIN/ENTER link in the site header on any page. If you have not already registered on our site, you will be asked to do so.

After you register, provide the information requested about each product you are entering, then check out when you're done! Our system has been designed to make entering as easy as can be.

Here are just a few of our convenient entry system features:

• Call up products you’ve previously entered and re-enter them this year with just a few clicks. No need to retype all your product information.
• “Clone & Edit”: Entering several similar products? Just enter the information for one and use “Clone & Edit” feature to enter additional products. You’ll only need to edit information that differs from the first. (This makes quick work of entering a series of similar products with a minimum of keystrokes.)

Check out our brief video tutorial that explains just how fast and easy it is to enter your products online:

Is there a way that I can see all the products that were entered from my company, even if I was not the one to enter them?

Yes there is! When you register on our site, you will be asked if you wish to link your account with others in your company. When your accounts are linked, you will be able to view entries and entry histories for products in all linked accounts, regardless of who entered them.

If you did not link your accounts during the registration process, you can ask to have them linked by emailing us.

What does it cost to enter?

Our 2026 competition entry fee is $525 per product, but non-procrastinators get the better deal: Our Early Bird entry fee is just $500 if you enter by Friday, February 20.

Optional enrollment in Insights, our judges' feedback program, is $375 per product.

What payment methods do you accept?

L.A. Spirits Awards accepts payments by check, bank wire or ACH transfer, and all major credit cards.

How can I edit my entry information or add more entries?

Editing Product Information:
After you’ve entered your product information, but before you submit your order, you can edit all information from the “Pending Entries” section of your Control Panel.

You may not edit information on orders that have been submitted. If you require changes to a finished order, please email us. 

Adding More Entries:
You can add more entries from your Entrant Control Panel by clicking on the +ADD A NEW ENTRY button.

Where do I ship my products to be judged?

Please download a copy of our Shipping Instructions sheet, which tells you how to properly label and address your shipment.

How do I know if my products have been received? 

Your Entrant Control Panel will indicate the current shipment and payment status of each of your entries.

I’m shipping my products from outside the U.S. and don’t have an importer. How can I get import help?

If you do not have a U.S. importer, L.A. Spirits Awards will connect you with our official import partner, BebanMez, who will guide you through the import process. BebanMez will…

• tell you what information you need to submit
• obtain for you the government COLA waiver required by U.S. Customs
• provide you with all the approved documents you must include with your shipment
• instruct you on how to pack and address your shipment

Note that this process is required. You must work with BebanMez if you are shipping your products from outside the U.S. and do not have your own importer.

Do NOT ship your products without going through this process and receiving the required import documentation!

To begin the process, simply indicate where asked during the entry process that you will need import assistance.

Because the government approvals can take 10–12 business days, we strongly recommend starting this process as early as possible.

What fees and responsibilities should I expect when using your import partner?

BebanMez charges $60 for its services, which we pass on to you at cost. Any third-party shipping costs, customs duties, or taxes (if applicable) will be billed back to you at cost.

Please note: shipments sent before receiving the required approval documents may be delayed by U.S. Customs and can incur additional fees.

If you have further questions about importing your product samples, please contact us at imports@LAspiritsawards.com.

I am located in the Los Angeles area. Is it possible to hand deliver my products or send them by local courier?

Yes, you can, but courier and walk-in deliveries cannot be accepted at our Glendale Blvd. address.

Call us at +1 (323) 466-5563 or contact us at cheers@LAspiritsawards.com for local delivery instructions.

Can you help me import my product samples from outside the U.S.?

Indeed! If you do not have a U.S. importer, L.A. Spirits Awards will connect you with our official import partner, BebanMez, who will guide you through the import process.

NOTE: You must work with BebanMez if you are shipping your products from outside the United States and do not have your own importer.

BebanMez will…

• assist you in obtaining the COLA waiver required by U.S. Customs
• instruct you on how to properly pack and address your shipment

Because the government approvals can take 10–12 business days, we strongly recommend starting this process as early as possible.

What fees and responsibilities should I expect when using your import partner?

BebanMez charges $60 for its services, which is due along with your entry fees. Any third-party shipping costs, customs duties, or taxes (if applicable) will be billed back to you at cost.

If you have further questions about importing your product samples, please contact us at imports@LAspiritsawards.com.

How do I find out if I’ve won an award?

You will be notified of your results by email on or before April 16. In addition, results will be posted to your Entrant Control Panel. Full results will become available publicly on our website on May 4.

Please note: If your entry won a medal, you will be asked to confirm the accuracy of the product information we have before winner lists are made publicly available.

What else can I find in my Entrant Control Panel?

All entrants have access to these Control Panel features: 

• Review current and prior year entry information.
• Download medallion artwork and copies of your printed certificates for prior-year winning entries

Winners have access to the following additional Control Panel features:

• Download free medallion artwork (we never charge you extra to use our imagery to promote your hard-won awards.)
• Download social media templates
• Download copies of your award certificates in both U.S. Letter and A4 formats
• Take advantage of exclusive offers from L.A. Spirits Awards’ strategic partners

Check out our brief video tour of your Control Panel's features:

Can I get medallion artwork or a copy of my award certificate for products I entered last year?

You can!  Your Entrant Control Panel features are available for all your entries, past and present. You can download medallion artwork, certificates, and social media templates* for all products you’ve entered, regardless of what year you entered them.

*Social media templates are not available for all competition years.