FAQs

We have not defined “new” in relation to the NEXTY Awards since we believe older products that have not yet gained general recognition in the natural products industry may still be worthy of this award. While filling out the nomination form, you will be asked to fill in the product's launch date, however, so this information will be available to the judges.

For first-time exhibitors, the first nomination is $95.

For returning exhibitors (if you have exhibited at any Natural Products Expos in the past), the first nomination is $195.

Any additional nominations (for first-time and returning exhibitors) cost $95 each.

Yes, send one product sample per category for judging analysis to arrive in the New Hope Network office (Attn: NEXTY Awards, 5541 Central Ave, Suite 150, Boulder, CO, 80301). For example, if you nominate the same product in four different categories, please send four samples of the same product so it can be represented in each of those four categories during judging.

In the case that your product is extremely large and too difficult to mail for judging, please send any relevant product photos and/or product sheets that will assist the judges in making their decisions.

You can nominate a product that you are preparing to launch just prior to or at Natural Products Expo West 2020.

We often have nominations for brand-new products that are still in temporary packaging or final prototype stage. Please send the most finished product that you can along with any packaging mock-ups or notes that convey further attributes to the judges

Yes, you can enter the same product/product line in more than one category. There is no limitation on how many categories you can submit a product within, however, every new category requires a new nomination.

For example: A company has a new line of organic vegan yogurts for kids. This product could be entered in any of the follow categories (or in several or all of them): Best New Organic Food, Best New Snack, Best New Special Diet Food, and Best New Natural Kid's Product.

A single product line should be submitted, however, we ask that you send no more than 3 flavors for the judges to consider during judging.

For example: A company has two product lines: a high-protein milk in five flavors AND organic high-protein milk in five flavors. If they wanted to enter both of these product lines for a NEXTY award, this would count as two separate nominations. The company can send up to 3 of the flavors in each product line for the judges to evaluate.

You can send up to three flavors of the same product line. If you have more than three flavors, please select the three that best represent your product line and send only those.

Your product cannot win a NEXTY Award in the same category that it has already won, however, it is eligible to be considered in different categories.

This category is for typical center-aisle foods that would not be considered a snack or beverage, such as whole grains, cereals, meal helpers, canned or packaged vegetables or beans, cheese or other dairy/non-dairy food products, soups, pastas and bread products.

We believe business can and should be used as a force for good. Nominated products in this category should encourage healthy living and industry growth through initiatives that support regeneration, farmers, employees, environment, organizations and/or communities in need.

Products nominated in this category should highlight a strong partnership(s) between a brand and an ingredient producer(s)/supplier(s), as well as responsible and transparent sourcing of ingredients. In your nomination, explain how your partnership with a named supplier(s) have helped develop a healthier, better product and strengthens supply chain quality and transparency).

Yes, your product will need to meet New Hope Network's Ingredient Standards & Guidelines, which are the same standards and guidelines in place at Natural Products Expos. The New Hope Network Standards team will evaluate product prior to the judging process and remove any products that do not meet our standards for ingredients and efficacy.

The NEXTY categories are a reflection of the product categories that exhibit at our Natural Product Expos. While some categories have remained consistent throughout the history of the NEXTY Awards, such as Best New Beverage and Best New Supplement, other categories have been added, altered or eliminated to reflect changing patterns in the natural products industry.

For example, new product categories for Natural Products Expo West 2019 are Best New CBD Product and Best New Product Supporting a Healthy Microbiome because these are product categories where we have noticed a lot of movement and innovation. What was previously called the Best New Packaging Innovation has now been renamed the Best Environmentally Responsible Packaging to reflect the direction and integrity we would like those category nominees to represent.

No, organic certification is not a requirement to enter except for the Best New Organic Beverage and Best New Organic Food categories. Those products must have a USDA Organic certification displayed on the product packaging. Organic growing practices reflect good stewardship of the land and are an important characterization of honoring a more sustainable and improved food system, and therefore, we often give certified organic products high marks for meeting the integrity criteria of winning a NEXTY Award.

For product images submitted in NEXTY Awards nomination form - please follow these guidelines.

For label flat images* submitted in NEXTY Awards nomination form, follow these guidelines.

*Label flat images are only required if the nominated product won't be shipped to the New Hope Network office in its final packaging.