Initial Judging Round Winners Selected in the #NCBeer Label Insanity Competition

North Carolina breweries have some of the most innovative label art in the world. To showcase this creativity, the NC Craft Brewers Guild is hosting the first annual #NCBeer Label Insanity Competition! Presented by Wright Creative Branding & Labels,  SeaThirst Creative, and Hop Culture, this two-part competition aims to discover the top beer label in the state!

Twelve judges narrowed the field of 346 label entries, submitted from 64 NC breweries, to a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each of the 16 beer style categories.  Working in teams of 3,  judges evaluated all entries based on the following four criteria: visual interest; creativity; craftsmanship; overall impression.

View the full competition results here!

Judges were: Dave Tollefsen, NC Beer Guys;  Eugenia Brown, Beer Chick, LLC;  Kenny Gould, Hop Culture; Jason Frye, Teakettle Junction Productions; Julie Rhodes, Not Your Hobby Marketing; Mel Fox, Work For Your Beer; Ruairi Dolan, Wright Creative Branding & Labels; Ben Weston, Hoptown Handles; Taylor Seidler, SeaThirst Creative; Aaron Gore, Community Brewing Ventures; Wayne Holt, 919 Beer Podcast & Beericana Festival, & Capital Broadcasting Host, Joe Ovies, 919 Beer Podcast & Capital Broadcasting.

With the brackets set, it’s time for the people to be heard!  The 1st place winner from each of the 16 categories entered the People's Choice Label Insanity Bracket Tournament. Cast your vote in head-to-head, single-elimination bracket rounds on @ncbrewersguild social media. You can cast your vote daily for your favorite.

Bracket tournament winners will be decided by popular vote - the label receiving the most votes via the poll function will be deemed the winner of that round. The winner of each round’s match-up will progress to the next round. The winner of the final round match-up will become the tournament champion! How can YOU win? Just by voting in our daily bracket rounds on Instagram Stories and Facebook Polls, you'll be entered to win some pretty cool #NCBeer prizes. Join the fun… vote for your favorite label.  Vote early, vote often.

To learn more about our finalists you can find our Sweet Sixteen beer category winners featured in a special Hop Culture digital publication story about the Label Insanity Competition (read it here!)