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

The 2026 American Cheese Society Judging and Competition, a technical and aesthetic evaluation of American-made cheeses, will be held May 18-22, 2026 at the Huntington Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis campus. The Judging and Competition (J&C) is now 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 don't hesitate to Contact Us.

Important Dates

Call For Entries OPEN NOW through March 19

• Early Bird Pricing $75/entry: January 6 - February 3
• Regular Pricing $100/entry: February 4 - March 19

Receiving: May 18 - 20

Judging: May 21 - 22

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 their cheese into 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
      1. The deadline to enter is Thursday, March 19th, 2026.

You will receive additional information regarding how to ship your cheese to Minneapolis for judging at a later date.

Cost to Enter a Product

The competition is only available to Organizational members of ACS.

• January 6th - February 3rd: $75/entry
• February 4th - March 19th: $100/entry

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