PR%F Awards

What PR%F Awards does

PR%F Awards, owned by The Original Brand, LLC, operates international double-blind beverage competitions judged exclusively by active beverage buyers with purchasing authority. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Las Vegas, the company runs three distinct competitions covering spirits/wine/non-alcoholic beverages, THC/CBD-infused drinks, and ready-to-drink products, each evaluated across more than 300 categories. The proprietary methodology pairs a Masked (double-blind tasting) format with an Unmasked (total package including branding, design, and pricing) format on a 100-point scoring system, allowing multiple brands to earn recognition in a single competition.

Name

PR%F Awards

Legal name

The Original Brand, LLC

Website

https://proofawards.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PR%F Awards runs international double-blind beverage competitions for spirits, wine, RTD, and infused drinks, judged by active buyers with purchasing power who can place winning products on shelves.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Beverage Competition Services

NAICS

Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Virtual Awards Ceremonies & Competitions (Judging, Voting) (MPAGAOAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Awards Ceremonies & Recognition Events (MPAGAHAF), Food, Wine & Beverage Festivals/Expos (MPAGAFAE)

Keywords

• Beverage competition
• Spirits judging
• Wine awards
• Infused beverages
• Ready-to-drink awards

Headquarters

HQ city

Las Vegas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Competition Entry Fees: Entry fees for brand submissions to PR%F Awards competitions. Each SKU entry includes participation in both Masked and Unmasked judging, medal if won, photo with medal, press release template, and worldwide publicity.
2. Additional Medal Purchases: Additional medals can be purchased for $25 each for brands wanting extra recognition.
3. Advertising & Editorial Opportunities: Post-award advertising and editorial opportunities in PR%F the Magazine and Food & Beverage Magazine for winning brands.
4. Merchandise Sales: Website merchandise including bottle tags, stickers, and other products available for separate purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PR%F Awards operates three annual international beverage competitions (Original Spirits/Wine/Beverage, Infused, and RTD) judged by active beverage buyers. Brands submit SKUs for evaluation using a proprietary dual format combining masked double-blind tasting with unmasked packaging/design judging on a 100-point scoring system. Winning brands gain direct distribution access and publicity through PR%F the Magazine and Food & Beverage Magazine reaching 14+ million industry readers.

Product overview

PR%F Awards operates as a three-competition beverage rating platform: the Original Spirits, Wine & Beverage Competition (the flagship offering featuring over 300 categories for spirits, wines, and non-alcoholic beverages), the Infused Beverage Competition (for THC, CBD, and hemp-infused drinks), and the RTD Beverage Competition (for ready-to-drink products). All three competitions share a unique dual-judging format combining double-blind tasting (Masked) with packaging/branding evaluation (Unmasked). Winners receive coverage in PR%F the Magazine and Food & Beverage Magazine, reaching millions of industry professionals. The platform connects brands directly with beverage buyers who have purchasing power.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PR%F the Magazine: A Digizine for spirits, wine, potations, libations & beverage industry news, serving as the official publication of PR%F Awards.
• Food & Beverage Magazine

Products and services

• PR%F Awards - Original Spirits, Wine & Beverage Competition Flagship beverage competition featuring double-blind tasting (Masked) and packaging/design evaluation (Unmasked) for spirits, wines, and non-alcoholic beverages, judged by active beverage buyers from distributors, retailers, airlines, cruise lines, casinos, hotels, bars, and restaurants. Entry fee $495 per SKU.
• PR%F Awards - Infused Beverage Competition Competition dedicated to THC, CBD, and hemp-infused beverages, evaluating beverage taste (not effect) with judges from dispensaries, retail chains, and hospitality venues. Requires Certificate of Analysis (COA) submission. Entry fee $495 per SKU/flavor.
• PR%F Awards - RTD Beverage Competition Competition for ready-to-drink and ready-to-serve beverages including canned cocktails, hard seltzers, hard teas, and functional drinks, with judging by retail and hospitality buyers. Multiple categories include Spirited RTDs, RTD Wines, RTD Non-Alcoholic Beverages, RTD Low-Alcohol Beverages, RTD Mixers, and RTD functional beverages. Entry fee $495 per SKU/flavor with volume discounts.
• PR%F the Magazine

Quantifiable outcome

• Direct access to 80-100 potential buyers per competition
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Park StreetcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial customs broker partner for international shipping assistance. Helps international brands with shipping and compliance when entering products into the U.S. for PR%F Awards competition. Contact: [email protected].
• Bootleggers DistributingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShipping and logistics partner for PR%F Awards Spirits/Wine & Beverage Competition and RTD Competition. Located in Las Vegas, NV. Brands ship product samples to this location for judging.
• Food & Beverage MagazinecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSister publication and media partner providing national exposure. PR%F Awards winners featured in digital publication reaching 15 million readers monthly. Quarterly distribution of winner's magazine to 250,000 buyer database.
• Jardín Las Vegas Premium Cannabis DispensaryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHost property for PR%F Awards Infused Beverage Competition. Premium cannabis dispensary in Las Vegas serving as venue partner for THC, CBD, and hemp-infused beverage judging.
• William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at UNLVminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTop-accredited university partnership for 2022 competition. Provided educational experience for 40+ hospitality students in competition management, logistics, and operations. PR%F Awards became first spirits and wine competition to collaborate with a top-accredited university.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Beverage Media Group: Long-established beverage trade publication with retail and buyer distribution, similar in audience profile to PR%F's buyer database. Adjacent rather than directly competing on competition events.
• The Spirits Business: Industry trade publication that runs its own competitions (e.g., World Beverage Competition) and provides editorial reach to spirits professionals. Comparable to PR%F's magazine and competition bundle, though at much larger industry-incumbent scale.
• Wine Enthusiast / Wine Spectator Buying Guides: Large wine media brands with editorial reach and ratings that drive buyer and consumer demand. Adjacent incumbents that PR%F differentiates against via the live, buyer-judge event format.

Emerging players

• Cannabis Beverage Awards / THC Drink Competitions: Emerging niche competitions focused on cannabis-infused and THC beverages, directly overlapping with PR%F's Infused Beverage Competition. The space is nascent and fragmented, with few established direct competitors.

Direct peers

• International Spirits Challenge: Annual international spirits competition with blind judging panels. Competes with PR%F for spirits brand entrants seeking medals and credibility.
• San Francisco World Spirits Competition: One of the most established international spirits competitions, running annual blind judging with industry experts. Directly competes with PR%F Awards for spirits brand entries and credibility, though it does not focus specifically on buyer-judges.
• Concours Mondial de Bruxelles: Major international wine and spirits competition with extensive global judging panels. Direct peer competing for premium international brand entrants across wine and spirits categories.
• International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC): Globally recognized wine and spirits competition with rigorous blind judging and broad international brand participation. Direct peer in the beverage awards category, though it operates at significantly larger global scale.
• Sommeliers Choice Awards: Wine and spirits competition judged by sommeliers and on-premise buyers, focused on restaurant and bar channels. Closely comparable to PR%F's buyer-judge value proposition in wine and spirits.
• Beverage Testing Institute (Tastings.com): Provides blind, expert-driven beverage reviews and ratings across spirits, wine, and beer. Direct peer in the blind-judging and ratings space serving brands seeking third-party validation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/proofawards
• Facebookfacebook.com/ProofAwards
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pr-f-awards

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PR%F Awards