• The Global Coffee Awards recognise and spotlight the world’s best roasteries and the producers behind their coffees.
• The US & Canada edition was held on 29 & 30 September 2025 in Houston, Texas.
• The overall winner was Utopian Coffee, receiving the title of the best roaster in the region.
• US & Canada, Origin, and Europe Gold winners will compete at the global finals. These will take place at the Producer & Roaster Forum El Salvador on 26 & 27 March 2026, where the world champion will be announced.

On 29 & 30 September 2025, the US & Canada edition of the Global Coffee Awards, a competition that recognises the world’s best roasteries and the producers who grow their coffees, took place in Houston, Texas. 

The event featured a panel of industry experts who blind-judged bags of roasted coffee submitted across multiple defined categories. The competition utilises an objective and transparent scoring system, designed to provide actionable feedback for every entrant, ensuring that roasters obtain as much value as possible from their participation.

Read on to find out who the winners are, how you can take part in the upcoming Europe edition, and when the global finals will be held.

Learn more about the GCA here.

The first edition of GCA recognises US & Canadian roasters

From small independents to regional and national brands, the Global Coffee Awards invited roasters in the US and Canada to submit bags of their most exceptional coffees across various categories. 

“Any roaster of any size can participate,” says Jayson Galvis, a two-time CoE international lead judge, as well as the Lead Judge for the US & Canada GCA competition. “Moreover, all of the judging feedback is constructive, not punitive, so roasters obtain as much value from competing as possible.” 

Designed to reward the overall company rather than an individual roaster, allowing companies to strengthen their brand identity, the GCA is a prestigious competition that also recognises the producer who grew the coffee. 

“We’re proud to support an initiative that connects roasters with new customers and celebrates their hard work,” says Mark Zhou, the founder of MTPak Coffee, the US & Canada GCA Platinum Sponsor. “We share the same goal of celebrating not only excellent roasters, but also the producers behind each coffee.”

This bridges a gap in the industry, acknowledging and raising awareness of excellence across the supply chain.

“Unlike other competitions, the roaster submits the form and sends the coffee, not the producer,” Jayson says. “It’s a straightforward process that doesn’t create unnecessary, unfair logistical burdens for producers, who often have to manage these when applying for competitions.”

The awards also focus on roasted coffee rather than green beans, providing a comprehensive assessment of quality that encompasses all types of coffee. These range from light roast washed coffees to well-roasted espresso lots, which are often overlooked in competitions yet still appeal to consumer preferences.

“This competition is about recognising all coffees, and acknowledging the positive, unique aspects of each one,” says Henry Wilson, the founder of GCA and PRF. “Taking part is a small investment to receive constructive, actionable feedback, and roasters also gain global exposure. 

“We’re helping to drive consumption. Beyond assigning coffee a numerical score, the judges provide constructive comments on the roast profiles, as well as suggest food pairings,” he adds. “Ultimately, the GCA is about how we can help roasters sell more coffee”.

The categories are designed to recognise the unique qualities of different coffee-based drinks, rather than relying solely on cupping. Additionally, the subcategories recognise a wide variety of processing methods, ensuring judges can evaluate them independently.

How does the GCA work?

A panel of qualified, independent experts judged all coffees blind to eliminate bias. This ensured that any entry, regardless of the size of the roastery, could stand out.

The panel consisted of one lead judge, nine certified Q-grader sensory judges, several shadow judges, and coordinator judges. The day before the event, all judges calibrated their palates and agreed on the best brew ratios and standardised brewing processes. 

As part of the calibration process, judges and coordinators ranked the coffees from light to dark roast profiles to avoid palate fatigue. Throughout the event, all judges were calibrated to maintain consistency and accuracy, and judges had regular breaks.

An objective and transparent scoring system was used for every entrant across all categories. These include Filter Coffee, Espresso, Flat White with Dairy, and Flat White with Alternative Milk. Each category contains several subcategories, with up to three points available for each coffee.

The coffees in each category were prepared as a consumer would experience them in a coffee shop, ensuring fair and accurate real-world assessment:

• Filter: prepared using Bentwood H75 grinders, Tone 03 brewers, and Hario V60s provided by Equipment Suppliers GH Grinding + Brewing Solutions and Geva Coffee
• Espresso: prepared using Pinecone Siberian grinders, Sanremo espresso machines, and a PuqPress, also provided by GH Grinding + Brewing Solutions and Geva Coffee
• Flat White with Dairy and Flat White with Alternative Milk: prepared using the automated MilkPal, provided by Equipment Supplier Marco Beverage Systems

“This evaluation system offers precise feedback, not only in the context of tasting, but also in terms of the beverages that are usually consumed by the people who buy from these roasters,” says Mario Idrovo, a barista expert and a sensory judge at the US & Canada competition. “Quality control is usually done only through traditional cuppings, so the GCA is innovative in terms of how it analyses coffee flavour and quality.”

The scoring system for each category included:

• Judging form – provided a numerical score across multiple criteria and a sensory snapshot (tasting notes and key descriptors)
• A coordinator form – provided a sensory snapshot, guidance on how to improve roast profile development, and food pairing suggestions from the judges

“For every sample, a coordinator worked with two to three judges,” Henry explains. “We prepared each sample using the exact same specific brew ratios and brewing protocols. The judges received each sample with a corresponding number.”

For the Filter and Espresso categories, the judges assigned numerical scores between 5 and 10 for nine criteria, including aroma, flavour, aftertaste, acidity, sweetness, and balance. For both Flat White categories, numerical scores were given for five criteria, including sweetness, balance, and mouthfeel.

The judges also noted down any qualitative points. The coordinator then led a discussion with the judges to discuss their feedback in detail, ensuring that all judges were aligned with one another.

The GCA Origin competition, open exclusively to roasters in producing countries, also recently took place, with the winners and more details to be announced soon. The European edition will be held on 28 & 29 October 2025 in Bordeaux, France. You can submit coffees here and contact Emi Rueda, the GCA Associate Project Manager, via WhatsApp here for more information.

Who won at the GCA US & Canada?

The winners of the GCA US & Canada competition are:

Overall winner: Utopian Coffee in Fort Wayne, Indiana, US

Category winners:

• Filter – Stamp Act Coffee in Seattle, Washington, US
• Espresso – Utopian Coffee
• Flat White Dairy – Sweet Bloom in Denver, Colorado, US
• Flat White Alternative – Utopian Coffee

For subcategories, entrants who received identical numerical scores both placed first to ensure fairness and parity.

Gold winners of each sub-category (roaster and producer):

Filter

• Blend
  • 13th Sun, Black Oak Coffee Roasters in Northern California, US & multiple smallholder producers
  • SL28 and Orange Bourbon, Reprise Coffee in Illinois, US and Edinson Argote in Colombia
• Single origin traditional – Hambela, Sweet Bloom and multiple smallholder producers in Ethiopia
• Single origin experimental
  • Letty Bermudez, Moxie Coffee Co. in Phoenix, Arizona, US and Diego Bermudez in Popayán, Colombia
  • Gori Gesha Carbonic Natural, What’s Brewing in San Antonio, Texas, US and multiple producers in Ethiopia
• Washed – Gesha, Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters in Calgary, Canada and Jose Joaquin Bolaños in Huila, Colombia
• Natural – Ethiopia Bombe Natural, Tipico Coffee Roasters in New York, US and Ayla Besna washing station in Sidamo, Ethiopia
• Honey – Gesha Spirit, Cafe Kreyol in Virginia, US and Vergel Estate in Tolima, Colombia
• Experimental – Regalia Coffee in New York, US and Morkie site in Sidama, Ethiopia
• Decaf – Condor EA Decaf, Stamp Act and Vergel Estate

Espresso

• Blend – Triple Threat, Smelly Cat Coffee in Charlotte, North Carolina, US & multiple producers
• Single origin traditional – Gesha, 1776 Coffee Roasters in Nevada, US and Vergel Estate
• Single origin experimental – Utopian Coffee and Wilton Benitez of Granja Paraiso 92 in Cauca, Colombia
• Decaf – Red Leaf Coffee in Washington state, US & multiple producers

Flat White Dairy

• Blend – Duomo, Black Oak Coffee Roasters and multiple producers
• Single origin traditional – Sweet Bloom and multiple smallholder producers in Hambela, Ethiopia

Flat White Alternative

• Blend 
  • Redd, Black Oak Coffee Roasters and multiple producers
  • Uppers, Sur Coffee in Southern California and multiple producers in Guatemala and Ethiopia
• Single origin traditional – Utopian Coffee and Sumatra Asman Gayo Mill, Indonesia
• Single origin experimental – Utopian Coffee and Wilton Benitez of Granja Paraiso 92

MTPak Packaging Award winner: Airship Coffee in Bentonville, Arkansas, US

Participating roasters will also receive digital Gold, Silver, and Bronze Global Coffee Awards seals. These are distinctive marks of excellence that they can display on their packaging, marketing materials, websites, social media channels, and menus.

The GCA team hosted the From Seal to Sale: Communicate Your Award Like a Pro webinar on 7 October, showcasing how roasters can utilise their seals to add credibility and visibility, demonstrating to customers and wholesale clients that they are leading global brands.

All winning roasters will also be included in an internationally distributed digital catalogue, offering global brand exposure.

You can find all the US & Canada category and subcategory winners here.

A snapshot of the US & Canada coffee market

In addition to crowning the best roasters in the US and Canada, the GCA provides a snapshot of broader consumer and industry trends in the US and Canadian coffee market.

The winning coffees encompassed a range of processing methods, including traditional washed, natural, and honey lots, as well as more experimental techniques such as natural carbonic maceration and anaerobic natural fermentation. 

This resulted in a wide range of flavour profiles – ranging from dark chocolate to stone fruit, jasmine, watermelon, butter popcorn, cooked apples, malt and lychee. The results reflected the sheer diversity of the US and Canadian markets, where both traditional and innovative tasting notes are celebrated.

The Filter category was by far the most popular, reflecting the region’s historic preference for drip, batch brew, and pour over coffee. The Espresso category was the second most popular, as consumer preferences shift towards espresso-based drinks. The latest 2025 National Coffee Data Trends Specialty Coffee Breakout Report found that 43% of American adults had enjoyed an espresso-based beverage in the past week – a significant increase on previous years.

The competition, hosted in Houston, Texas at green coffee importer Copan Trade, featured a wide range of roast profiles, including light roast, well-developed dark roasts suited for purpose (i.e., with milk and sugar), and omni-roasts – demonstrating the versatility of roasters in the region.

There were also noticeable trends with the origins of submitted coffees. Colombia, Brazil, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, and Ethiopia were among the most popular entries. This signals the dynamic relationship between US and Canadian buyers and international producers, as well as the diversity of origins in both markets.

Other producing countries included Papua New Guinea, Uganda, Tanzania, Puerto Rico, Thailand, India, and the Dominican Republic – demonstrating coffee excellence in lesser-known specialty coffee-producing countries.

Strengthening connections & improving knowledge: Why GCA matters

A key part of the GCA is providing all entrants with actionable feedback that enables them to enhance their roasting skills and refine their menu offerings.

For example, for an entry in the Flat White Alternative Single Origin Traditional subcategory (which was a blend of Typica and Maragogipe from Hawaii), the judges recommended roasting the coffee at a higher temperature for a shorter time to create a more balanced flavour profile and enhance the mouthfeel.

Meanwhile, for a super natural processed Ethiopian coffee in the Single Origin Experimental filter subcategory, the judges suggested pairing the coffee with peanut butter and jelly or goat’s cheese with apricot jam.

This high-level, specific feedback not only allows roasters to directly improve their skills and apply them to their operations, but it also ensures they can develop curated, complementary food and beverage offerings that elevate their menus.

Beyond recognition for roasters, the awards also highlight the producers behind each winning coffee.

“I’ve been a part of many coffee competitions, and the GCA is completely different from the ones I’ve judged or competed in,” says Rich Troche, the former co-founder of Everybody’s Coffee in Chicago, US, and a sensory judge at the GCA US & Canada. “It not only highlights coffee quality and the different ways of preparing coffee, but also the production side.

“Being able to showcase not only roasted coffee quality, but also the story behind it and the connection to the producer who grew and processed it makes the GCA stand out.”

All Gold-winning US & Canada, Origin, and Europe roasters and producers from each category will be invited to the global finals, which will be hosted at PRF El Salvador on 26 & 27 March 2026. All sub-category winners will be invited to the GCA awards ceremony, which will take place on the evening of the first day of PRF.

This gives roasters a unique opportunity to meet the producer behind their coffee, thereby strengthening long-term commercial relationships and ensuring that producers share in the recognition for coffee excellence.

Generating value in coffee

As part of GCA and PRF’s wider long-term vision, coffees submitted to the competition will be repurposed and upcycled, retaining value in the supply chain and furthering knowledge exchange.

The GCA team created a special, limited-edition blend using submissions, which also features uniquely designed packaging. The blend was donated to Tomball Emergency Assistance Ministries, a volunteer-run nonprofit in Houston that serves local families in crisis, ensuring that no coffee was wasted at the event.

Through the PRF Seed Programme, which funds projects created by coffee entrepreneurs, GCA coffees will also be donated to the San José barista school in Circasia, Colombia. 

“Previous winner Fabian, who received funding at PRF Guatemala over a year ago, will receive the coffees from Vietnam, India, and other origins,” Henry explains. “Fabian started a barista academy for high school students so they can graduate with their own barista certificate. He will share the GCA coffees with his students, allowing them to try new roast profiles, processing methods, origins, and flavour notes.

“Jayson Galvis, our Lead Judge, will also offer the students a free roasting master class and a sensory analysis class,” Henry adds, underscoring GCA’s aim to facilitate meaningful connections in the coffee industry.

The GCA global finals

All Gold winners of the US & Canada, Origin, and Europe events will advance to the global finals, which will be held at PRF El Salvador on 26 & 27 March 2026, where they will compete for international recognition. There will also be an awards ceremony for the sub-category and category winners

The GCA team reverse-engineered the winning coffees to establish the producers responsible for growing them. This means that when a roaster submits a bag of coffee, they automatically enter the producer who grew the coffee into the competition.

The team will send complimentary invitations to the winning producers to attend PRF El Salvador.

Winning producers also receive a GCA seal and certificate of excellence, acknowledging their crucial role in the industry.

The European competition will take place on 28 & 29 October 2025 in Bordeaux, France, hosted at Belco. The entry kit is available here.

Participating in shadow judging at the GCA offers coffee professionals the opportunity to learn firsthand about cupping and coffee tasting protocols and engage with some of the most experienced cuppers in the industry. To be considered for this judging position, fill out this form, or this form for a sensory judge position.

The Global Coffee Awards is redefining coffee competitions, providing roasters with a valuable opportunity to elevate their brand and achieve international recognition.

Contact info@globalcoffeeawards.com and the GCA project manager, Emi Rueda, via WhatsApp here for more information.

Apply to compete in the European GCA competition here.

Photo credits: Marett Media

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