Download your bracket and join us on Instagram & Facebook to cast your vote, opening Monday, March 29th!
North Carolina breweries have some of the most innovative label art in the world. To showcase this creativity, the Guild will host the first annual "Label Insanity" Art Competition! Presented by Wright Creative Branding & Labels, SeaThirst Creative, and Hop Culture, this two-part competition starts off with a panel of 12 judges narrowing down the field of 346 entries submitted from 64 North Carolina Breweries. Then, it's your turn! The first-place winner from each of the 16 beer categories will enter a People's Choice Label Insanity Bracket Tournament. Cast your vote in head-to-head, single-elimination bracket rounds on each of the @ncbrewersguild social media platforms.
The week of March 15th, our twelve #NCBeer celebrity judges made their decisions on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place labels graphics within each of the 16 beer style categories! Working in teams of 3, the judges evaluated all entries based on 4 criteria: visual interest (does the design effectively capture interest and engage?), creativity (does the design show innovation & originality?), craftsmanship (is the design technically well-executed?), and overall Impression (is the design composition clear and appealing?)In the People's Choice Bracket Tournament, label graphics will compete in head-to-head, single-elimination rounds, on the Guild’s @ncbrewersguild social media platforms.
Voting will be conducted using the “poll” function enabled on social media platforms.
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.
As a “single-elimination style tournament”, the winner of each round’s match-up will progress to the next round, whereas the loser is eliminated from the tournament.
BEER STYLE ENTRY CATEGORIES
WINNERS & PRIZES
EARLY JUDGING:
Each 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place category winner in the Early Judging portion of the competition, will receive a certificate of recognition & be featured in a state-wide press release!
PEOPLE’S CHOICE BRACKET TOURNAMENT:
ENTRANT COMPETITION RULES & REGISTRATION
Entrants must own the rights to the label artwork.
Only federally and NC ABC permitted North Carolina breweries may enter the competition.
All label entries must be ABC approved and registered in North Carolina.
Online registration at NCBeer.org is required prior to uploading your label entry files. (The link to upload graphic entry files will be contained in your registration confirmation email.)
All graphic image files must be a "flat" version of the artwork ( (ie. not photos of the packaging), and one of the following formats: .png, .jpeg, .jpg, or .pdf
Artwork must be for 12oz, 16oz, 22oz, 32oz, or 750ml bottles or cans (ie. no keg collars or case artwork.)
Labels for beers not currently in production, but still held in the production portfolio are eligible for entry (for example, a fall seasonal.) Beers retired from production are not eligible.
Entry fees are $15 per design entry. Credit card payment is collected during the online registration process.
A label entry may only be entered into one of the 16 beer style categories (ie. the same label cannot be entered into more than one category.)
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