Emerging Talent awards
IWSC's Emerging Talent awards are an unparalleled opportunity for new and exciting voices within the industry to make their name and to build exposure and recognition for their work.
The winner of each of our six Emerging Talent awards will be granted a £2,500 travel bursary, to enable them to further their education and development within their chosen field.
These awards are open to everyone of all ages and all professions of the drinks trade.
The 2025 entries are now closed. Shortlists will be announced on 25th March, and winners on 8th April.
Emerging Talent in Spirits Communication
Do you know someone who has recently set out on their journey to become the next big name in spirits communication? We want to hear from them. This title has been specially created for a new generation of communicators within the spirits industry. Communicators who are using innovative and creative ways to share their knowledge and passion with consumers and/or the wider industry.
Whether you are communicating with your audience about spirits through publishing, journalism, social media or broadcasting, get in touch.
A £2.5k travel bursary will be awarded to the winner of this award.
Emerging Talent in Bartending
This award is sponsored by William Grant & Sons.
Recognising the very finest talent in the bartender community, the IWSC is on the lookout for an individual who is leading the way in creativity and trendsetting in the bar world. Someone who is disrupting the norm and having a wider conversation about the importance of the on-trade. We see our Bartending winner as a natural ambassador for their trade. This award is open to all international bartenders.
Emerging Talent in Wine Communication
This award is sponsored by Consorzio di Tutela del Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
The world of wine communication has a plethora of incredibly skilled creatives sharing their knowledge and passion. The IWSC is looking for new talent within this field. Someone who has recently set out on their journey in the hope of becoming the next big name in wine communication.
This new award has been specially created for a new generation of wine communicators, people who are using new, innovative and creative ways to share their knowledge and passion with consumers and/or the wider industry.
A £2.5k travel bursary will be awarded to the winner of this award.
Emerging Talent in Wine
This award is in partnership with London Wine Fair.
Looking beyond the on-trade and the world of communication, the IWSC is searching for individuals working in wine and destined to make a name for themselves.
Whether you work in Marketing, Buying, Sales or Finance or anywhere within the industry beyond the on-trade and communications, if you go above-and-beyond your role, demonstrating dedication and passion for wine beyond the scope of your day job, this is the award for you.
Recognised by your contemporaries as a talent and ready to shine outside your business, you will already be involved within wider aspects of the wine trade, as well as showing commitment and determination in everything you do.
A £2.5k travel bursary will be awarded to the winner of this award.
Emerging Talent in Spirits
This award is sponsored by Komoro (Karuizawa Distillers).
Looking beyond the on-trade and the world of communication, the IWSC is searching for individuals working in spirits and destined to make a name for themselves.
Recognised by your contemporaries as a talent and ready to shine outside your business. Whether you work in Marketing, Buying, Sales or Finance or anywhere within the industry beyond the on-trade and communications, if you are going above-and-beyond your role, demonstrating dedication and passion for spirits beyond the scope of your day job, this is the award for you.
A £2.5k travel bursary will be awarded to the winner of this award.
Emerging Talent in Wine Hospitality
This Emerging Talent trophy, sponsored by Silverhand Estate, is awarded to someone who demonstrates a real dedication and passion within their role in the hospitality industry. If you are disrupting the norms of front of house, bringing consumers a unique experience, or redefining the way customers interact with wine, then this is the award for you.
A £2.5k travel bursary will be awarded to the winner of this award.
Bursary FAQs
What can winners spend the Emerging Talent bursary on?
The bursary is intended to help further the education and development of our winners within their chosen field. Previous winners have used the money to travel to a new wine region, take their team on an educational trip or start a new educational course. Here you can read how our 2022 Emerging Talent in Wine winner, Irem Eren, chose to use their bursary. We kindly ask all winners to share how they have used their bursary in either written or video format - we use this content to promote entries the following year. While we do not require an exact statement of how the bursary is spent, we love to hear the stories of how our winners benefit from this opportunity. If you do win, please share your plans and stories with us.
What can't winners spend the Emerging Talent bursary on?
As this is an educational grant, we ask our winners to refrain from using the bursary on personal or non-career related activities. The purpose of the bursary is to help our winners grow and continue to learn through educational activities and/or travel.