AWARDS
Privileges for sake brewers and exhibitors
Sake
◎ Judge's Comment Notes
Regardless of whether an award is received, judge's comment notes will be provided for all entered brands in the following categories:
- Tasting Category
- Food Pairing Category
- Design Category
◎ Product Technical Sheet
To support your future overseas market development, multilingual product technical sheets (available in Italian, English, Japanese, etc.) will be automatically generated based on the information you provide about your entered sake at the time of entry, and will be available for free download from the end of July onward. Please make use of these for overseas product sales and promotion.
◎ Certificate of Award
Certificates will be presented to all award-winning sake.
If you are able to attend the awards ceremony to be held in Milan on September 20, 2026 (tentative), the certificate will be presented to you on the day.
If you are unable to attend, it will be sent to the brewery at a later date (please note that delivery may take some time).
◎ Food Pairing Category - Commemorative Prizes
Breweries that receive the "Magnifica Award" in the Food Pairing judging will receive the following commemorative prizes:
(※In 2026, only sake judging items are eligible)
Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Award
One wheel of cheese (approximately 40kg) *with brewery logo
San Daniele Prosciutto Award
Special trophy
Italian Truffle Award
Premium Italian fresh truffles
◎ Award Medal and Competition Logo Data
To support the promotion of award-winning sake sales, award medal design data and official competition logo data will be provided free of charge.
(Both can be downloaded from the official website / *usage restrictions apply)
*Information about ordering award medal neck hang POPs is provided at the bottom of the page.
Shōchū and Awamori
◎ Judge's Comment Notes
Regardless of whether an award is received, judge's comment notes will be provided for all entered brands in the following categories:
- Tasting Category
- Design Category
◎ Product Technical Sheet
To support your future overseas market development, multilingual product technical sheets (available in Italian, English, Japanese, etc.) will be automatically generated based on the information you provide about your entered sake at the time of entry, and will be available for free download from the end of July onward. Please make use of these for overseas product sales and promotion.
◎ Certificate of Award
Certificates will be presented to all award-winning sake.
If you are able to attend the awards ceremony to be held in Milan on September 20, 2026 (tentative), the certificate will be presented to you on the day.
If you are unable to attend, it will be sent to the brewery at a later date (please note that delivery may take some time).
◎ Award Medal and Competition Logo Data
To support the promotion of award-winning sake sales, award medal design data and official competition logo data will be provided free of charge.
(Both can be downloaded from the official website / *usage restrictions apply)
*Information about ordering award medal neck hang POPs is provided at the bottom of the page.
Magnifica Award (the highest honor in the Tasting and Food Pairing categories) – Best Design Award (the highest honor in the Design category)
"SAKE TASTING", "DESIGN" and "FOOD PAIRING" AWARDS
Sake Tasting
The following awards are presented to the entries in each category:
🥇🥇🥇 Platinum
🥇🥇 Double Gold
🥇 Gold
🥈 Silver
デザイン審査
All bottle designs are evaluated simultaneously, and Design Awards are presented for each category within the Sake Division and the Shochu & Awamori Division.
Shōchū and Awamori Tasting
The following awards are given to entries in each category:
🥇🥇🥇 Platinum
🥇🥇 Double Gold
🥇 Gold
🥈 Silver
Best Food Pairing
A “Best Food Pairing” award is given for each of the five selected Italian dishes and desserts:
🥇 24-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
🥇 San Daniele prosciutto
🥇 Antipasto with three types of Italian truffles
🥇 One pasta dish
🥇 One Italian dessert
"FOOD PAIRING SPECIAL" AWARD
2023
"Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Special Award"
The session judges the pairing of three types of cheese aged for 12 months, 24 months, and 40 months with sake, and awards one brand for each.
2024
"San Daniele Prosciutto Special Award"
The session judges the pairing of three different types of prosciutto (shank), centro (middle), and punta (tip) with sake, and award three brand for each.
2025
The “Italian Truffle Award”
Two appetizers featuring three of Italy's finest truffles (summer truffles, spring white truffles, and winter black truffles) paired with sake, the first pairing item of the 2025 event.
BEST INTERNATIONAL SAKAGURA AWARD
Medals from past editions
You can download the medal data from previous MSC editions from the links below
Check 「MILANO SAKE CHALLENGE 2025」 results
See all resultsRegarding Orders for Award Medals and Neck Hangers
Award medal neck hangers, stickers, and other POP materials are produced and arranged by the Sake Culture Research Institute.
Details will be provided directly to the award-winning breweries by the Sake Culture Research Institute. For any questions, please contact the Sake Culture Research Institute.
Contact for inquiries regarding sales of award medal neck hangers and sticker POPs:
Sake Culture Research Institute
https://sakebunka.co.jp/
Contact person: Toshiaki Yamada
Phone: 080-3918-0453