Awards expanded in 2026 with five new categories and £15,000 in educational bursaries for buying teams
Waitrose secured an impressive ‘triple crown’ at the newly rebranded IWSC (International Wine & Spirit Competition) National Drinks Retail Awards, announced last night at a ceremony in London. The expanded 2026 awards also saw Tesco recognised for its outstanding wine range and Sainsbury’s for its exceptional spirits offering, alongside the introduction of significant educational bursaries totalling £15,000 for buying teams.
This year marks a significant evolution of the awards, formerly known as the Drinks Supermarket Awards. The programme has been relaunched to reflect shifts in the drinks landscape, including growth in innovative own-label ranges, the rise of no & low alcohol options, and critical sustainability initiatives.
There are also five new categories, three of which specifically celebrate the expertise of buying teams. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Laithwaites were honoured as winners for the Outstanding Supermarket Wine Range, Outstanding Supermarket Spirits Range, and Outstanding Large Online Wine Specialist Range respectively. Each buying team will receive a £5,000 educational bursary to support professional development, demonstrating the IWSC’s commitment to investing in industry talent.
Waitrose’s impressive haul included the coveted Classic Supermarket, Online Supermarket, and Sustainable Supermarket trophies. IWSC judge Cat Lomax commented, “The Classic Supermarket award recognises what supermarkets are delivering for beer, wine and spirit drinkers in the UK. Currently, no one is doing a better job than Waitrose.”
Other key winners demonstrated exceptional performance in their categories including M&S, which was crowned winner of the Convenience Supermarket Trophy. IWSC judge, journalist and spirits consultant Oliver Ward said: said: “M&S’s ability to carry much of its drinks range into smaller Express sites is impressive. Fridges in those stores often feature a strong RTD line-up, outperforming many competitors in both variety and visibility.”
Aldi was named best Discounter Supermarket, with Cat Lomax commenting: “One of the Aldi wine team’s key strengths is delivering highly commercial styles at compelling price points, meeting strong demand for approachable, affordable wines.”
The Wine Society emerged as winner of the new category Large Online Wine Specialist, with IWSC Judge David Kermode commenting: “The Wine Society stands out for using its key talent, particularly its buyers, to produce content that goes behind the scenes, provides recommendations, and adds educational value.”
Full list of winners:
- Classic Supermarket, sponsored by The Standard 1894 Vodka: Waitrose
- Convenience Supermarket: M&S
- Discounter Supermarket: Aldi
- Online Supermarket: Waitrose
- Sustainable Supermarket, sponsored by Pommery: Waitrose
- Outstanding Supermarket Wine Range, sponsored by Bibendum Off-Trade (New Category + Bursary winner): Tesco
- Outstanding Supermarket Spirits Range (New Category + Bursary winner): Sainsbury’s
- Large Online Wine Specialist (New Category): The Wine Society
- Outstanding Large Online Wine Specialist Range (New Category + Bursary winner): Laithwaites
- Sustainable Large Online Wine Specialist (New Category): The Wine Society
William Drew, Managing Director of a21 UK, parent company of the IWSC, said: “This year we are excited to launch three new awards which celebrate the work of retail buying teams. Tesco impressed with its year-on-year consistency in wine quality. On the spirits front, Sainsbury’s emerged as the clear winner for its overall range, showcasing remarkable quality in both branded and own-label offerings. Laithwaites also stood out in the online retailer category for its commitment to education and adventurous range. We are delighted to offer an IWSC bursary to each of these retailers to go towards the educational development of their buying teams.”
The IWSC National Drinks Retail Awards employ a rigorous and comprehensive 360-degree, six-part judging framework. This involves extensive tastings, interviews with supermarket buying teams, and mystery shopping both online and in-store to benchmark real-world performance. Judges assess everything from product quality and innovation to commercial strategy, customer experience, engagement, and value-added services.
The awards also highlighted emerging trends shaping the UK drinks market in 2026, including:
- Own-Label Innovation: Expansion of own-label ranges featuring lesser-known grape varieties.
- The Rise of No/Low: Stronger no & low alcohol propositions across both wine and spirits.
- Rosé: Strong year-round growth continues for rosé wines
- Lighter Styles: Increased demand for lighter and mid-strength wines.
- Spritz & RTDs: Significant innovation in the Ready-to-Drink and spritz-style categories.
- Eco-Progress: Measurable sustainability progress, from lightweight glass to alternative formats and UK bottling
For further information and for a comprehensive report on the awards, visit https://iwsc.net/
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