The 2025 Natural Products Expo West NEXTY Awards judging was full of spirited debate, tasty samples and inspirational products. In addition to our New Hope staff, we asked 17 natural products experts to assist with the final judging. Over the span of four days, our guest panel traveled from across the country and braved a polar cold front to help with the NEXTY Awards judging in our Boulder, Colorado, office. This year's guests included both NEXTY Awards veterans and new judges. We asked the judges from the first two days of judging about their experiences. Here's what they had to say.

What exciting trends caught your eye during NEXTY Awards judging?

“I saw a lot of companies really leaning into regenerative agriculture in both sourcing and certifications, demonstrating that you don’t have a to be a huge company to make a difference.” —Rebecca Lee, senior director of purchasing and merchandising, Wedge Community Co-ops.

“So many trends caught my eye! Brand collaborations, sustainability, fermented products, and products with new flavors/applications across multiple categories, to name a few.”—Charles Butler, category manager, Lunds & Byerlys.

“The transition back to whole food ingredients! Products with simpler ingredient panels and whole foods is a huge win for the natural products industry!”—Steven Jamieson, health & bodycare merchandiser, PCC Community Markets.

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What was your favorite part about the NEXTY Awards judging process?

"When you're a NEXTY judge, expect the unexpected. The wide range of opinions and perspectives in a group environment forces you to evaluate deeper. I believe the format produces a better outcome than if judges were evaluating alone. It's a strong process that ensures integrity." —Braden Douglas, CEO & co-founder, Crew Marketing Partners

“Collaborating with other industry leaders and the dialogue that came with evaluating products was the best part. Everyone brought their expertise to the table, and it was such an uplifting and respectful experience.” —Jamieson

“I love bringing different people in the industry together. NEXTYs judging feels like a reunion, but each year we also welcome new judges and this year our group had amazing synergy and insights.” —Adrienne Smith, content director, New Hope Network

Mission accomplished! Some of this year's NEXTY Awards judges are all smiles after completing a long week of judging.

What was the hardest part of NEXTY Awards judging?

“The hardest part was narrowing down the finalists and winners—so many products were worthy of recognition! It was challenging to choose, but it's a testament to the incredible innovation happening in the industry right now.”—Charlie New, global category manager, refrigerated beverages, Whole Foods Marlet

“The hardest part by far was selecting only one winner in a category when multiple products really went above and beyond the criteria.”—Lee

Was the NEXTY Awards judging experience what you expected? In what ways was it different?

“I didn’t expect that picking a winner would be so complex. There's a lot more deliberation than one might expect between the judges, as we have lengthy discussions about why a product deserves a NEXTY Award.” —Evonne Chan, senior market insights analyst, SPINS

“I wasn’t expecting to be so tired by the end of judging! While sampling delicious products and elevating brands through the NEXTY program is a blast, the amount of deliberation and discussion that goes into each category is hard work.” —Meredith Kaufman, editor, New Hope Network

Meet all 17 of this year's guest judges here. The 2025 NEXTY Awards finalists will be announced on newhope.com on Wednesday, Feb. 12. Winners are announced at the NEXTY Awards Ceremony & Celebration at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 6, at the Marquis Center inside the Marriott.

Natural Products Expo West, the leading trade show in the natural, organic and healthy products industry, is open March 4-7 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Click through for the agenda, registration, travel information and more. Subscribe here to receive updates.