Judges for this year’s awards read, listened to and watched more than 130 entries from beer writers and broadcasters.
Beeson, who joined MA this summer and is fast becoming an authority on beer, has been shortlisted in the Best Young Beer Writer category and for the Fuller’s London Pride Award for Best Beer Writer – Trade Media.
‘Genuinely humbling’
He said: “Being shortlisted by the guild, less than a year after my first freelance commission, and less than six months after joining MA, is a huge honour. To be nominated alongside the likes of Adrian [Tierney-Jones], Matt [Curtis] and Roger [Protz], who have been huge influences on my writing, is genuinely humbling.
"The guild is a fantastic organisation to be involved with, and I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone at the awards later this month."
Beeson’s beer writing career became serious after the launch of his Beeson on Beer website in December 2015, from which he picked up work in national newspapers and specialist beer magazines, before joining MA in May.
This year finalists were selected by judges Keith Miller, food and drink commissioning editor at The Daily Telegraph; Bruce Smith, brewer at Maltsmiths Brewing; David Cunningham, programme director at There’s A Beer For That; and current Beer Writer of the Year and MA columnist Pete Brown.
High-quality entries
Brown said: “Whittling the large field of high-quality entries down to a shortlist was a challenge; in some categories, work that would have been in contention to win in past years didn’t make the cut this time, simply because there was so much good stuff. Everyone on the shortlist should be proud of having reached this stage.
“The quality, breadth of topics covered and diversity of media used by our finalists shows that beer writing is indeed in good health. We look forward to toasting all our shortlisted writers, and announcing the winners, at our dinner next month.”
The awards this year will be held at the Park Lane Hotel, Piccadilly, on 29 November, where a four-course meal with matched beers will be served.
Everyone at MA wishes James Beeson and his fellow finalists the best of luck!
The shortlist is as follows:
Guild Award for Best Citizen Beer Communicator (new award):
- Peter Alexander
- Oli Haydon
- Matthew Hickman
- Rebecca Pate
There’s A Beer For That Award for Best Beer Broadcaster:
- Jonny Garrett, Craft Beer Channel
- Jane Peyton, The Food Programme
- Breandán Kearney, The Belgian Smaak Podcast
- Lucy Stevenson & Louise Mulroy: We Made A Beer
Guild Award for Best Young Beer Writer:
- Csaba Babak: posts on Beer Means Business and other websites
- James Beeson: posts on The Morning Advertiser and Beeson on Beer
- Rob Davies: articles in The Guardian
- Joe Tindall: posts on Fatal Glass of Beer
St Austell Brewery Award for Best Beer and Travel Writer:
- Stephen Beaumont & Tim Webb: World Atlas of Beer (2nd edition)
- Chris Elston: Elston’s Beer Blog
- Jonny Garrett: Craft Beer Channel
- Adrian Tierney Jones: Beer in So Many Words and press articles
Guild Award for Best Beer Writer – Corporate Communications:
- Beer Hawk: Hoptical magazine
- Beer Merchants: magazine
- Camden Brewery: Beer School materials
- Carlsberg UK: Tapsters Cask Ale Guide
Maltsmiths Brewery Award for Best Beer Communicator – Online:
- Martyn Cornell: Zythophile
- Matt Curtis: Total Ales/Good Beer Hunting
- Jonny Garrett: Craft Beer Channel
- Emma Inch: Fermentation Radio
- Breandán Kearney: Belgiansmaak
- Annabel Smith: Cask Marque website
Fuller’s London Pride Award for Best Beer Writer – Trade Media:
- James Beeson: articles in The Morning Advertiser
- Susanna Forbes: articles in Imbibe
- Adrian Tierney-Jones: various press articles
Adnams Award for Best Beer Writer – Regional Media:
- Boak & Bailey: articles in Devon Life
- Emma Inch: Fermentation Radio
- Alastair Gilmour: Cheers magazine
- Simon Jenkins: The Yorkshire Beer Bible book
Shepherd Neame Award for Best Beer Writer - National Media:
- Adrian Tierney-Jones: Seven Moods of Craft Beer book and press articles
- Roger Protz: IPA A Legend in Our Time book and press articles
- Breandán Kearney: articles in Belgian Beer & Food magazine and other titles
- Will Hawkes: articles in Financial Times, Guardian and other titles
- Katrien Bruyland: article in Original Gravity