Community-driven Sprudgie Awards spotlight global coffee innovators and producers

The 17th annual Sprudgie Awards, presented by Pacific Barista Series, announced winners and honorees on January 16, 2026, recognizing a wide sweep of talent across the global coffee community. Top honors included Scenery Coffee of London as Notable Roaster and Colombian producer Sebastian Ramirez as Notable Coffee Producer, while a newly added Notable Coffee Influencer category signaled growing recognition of creators and storytellers in the space.

The Sprudgies are run on a public nomination and voting model, a process that puts community taste and judgment at the center of the awards. Categories this year covered roasters, coffee producers, cafes and creative work, with finalists and honorees drawn from a geographically diverse field. That community-driven selection method helps surface smaller producers and regional roasters who may not get attention in mainstream channels, and it amplifies grassroots contributions to coffee culture beyond traditional industry gatekeepers.

For roasters and cafe operators, a Sprudgie nod can translate into tangible benefits: heightened visibility, increased foot traffic, and new wholesale or retail opportunities. For farmers and producers like Sebastian Ramirez, recognition at this level can help lift provenance stories and bring buyer attention to specific regions and processing practices. The addition of a Notable Coffee Influencer category also formalizes a role many in the community already play—sharing education, farm-to-cup narratives, brewing technique content, and behind-the-scenes reporting that drives consumer discovery.

Practical next steps for readers: try the winners and honorees when they visit your market, follow their social channels for seasonal releases, and consider these accolades when curating beans for home roasting or cafe menus. Because the awards are nominated and decided by community members, participation matters—both in nominating voices you value and in voting when ballots open. Awards can point you toward quality and innovation, but they are one signal among many; taste, transparency and direct engagement with producers should remain your guides.

For the wider community, the Sprudgies’ continued emphasis on producers, creative work and public participation keeps attention on the full chain from farm to cup. Expect more farms and smaller roasters to leverage this recognition into longer-term partnerships and product launches, and watch for the next nomination window if you want to back local favorites or emerging talent.