Welcome to the American Cheese Society’s Annual Judging & Competition! This prestigious annual event offers an unparalleled opportunity for cheesemakers to gain recognition and elevate their craft to new heights.

The 2026 American Cheese Society Judging and Competition, a technical and aesthetic evaluation of American-made cheeses, was held May 18-22, 2026 at the Huntington Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis campus. The Judging and Competition (J&C) is held separately from the Annual Conference, with the Award Ceremony being held during the Conference. You can view previous winners here.

If you have questions about entering the ACS Judging & Competition, you may find your answer(s) in the Frequently Asked Questions, or Contact Us.

Process for Submitting to Judging & Competition

1. 1. Determine Eligibility (review the eligibility requirements here)
      1. Note: only ACS organizational members are eligible to submit products to the competition. You can read more and join ACS here.
   2. Choose the category where your cheese fits (review the categories here)
   3. Log in to your account (or create an account) on our platform, Award Force
      1. Need help? Email info@cheesesociety.org
      2. Note: If you submitted entries last year, you will use the same login information
   4. Go to My Entries
   5. Start a New Entry and fill out all the required information
   6. Click Add to Cart
   7. If you want to submit multiple entries, you can either duplicate a previous one and edit, or start a new entry.
   8. Check out and pay for your entries

Cost to Enter a Product

Early Bird Pricing $75/entry

Regular Pricing $100/entry

Note: You can look up past entries in Award Force for reference at any time.