Head Judges

With a diverse panel of over 75 judges led by three Head Judges, we aim to represent a range of brewing industry professionals from around the globe. Each judge brings unique skills, industry insights, sensory strengths, and a positive commitment to improvement and knowledge sharing. This ensures a broad range of perspectives and opinions on the entries, promising an exciting and well-rounded competition. 

Pictured: Warren Pawsey, Tina Panoutsos and Justin Fox at the Melbourne Royal Australian International Beer Awards

Pictured: Warren Pawsey, Tina Panoutsos and Justin Fox at the Melbourne Royal Australian International Beer Awards

Meet the Head Judges 

Overseeing the panel in their capacity as rotating Head Judges will be industry veterans Tina Panoutsos, Warren Pawsey, and Justin Fox. 

Warren Pawsey, consultant, has over 35 years of experience in brewing and has worked with various breweries across the industry. 

Tina Panoutsos,  from CUB and Asahi brings over 30 years of experience in various roles across the beer industry, including sensory, quality assurance, and marketing. 

“The AIBAs are not just about assessing beers; they’re about building strong networks, encouraging camaraderie, and celebrating the ever-evolving quality and innovation in brewing.” 

Justin Fox, a brewing consultant and Australian agent for Bespoke Brewing Solutions, has a decade's worth of experience in beer judging and technical roles with breweries of all sizes.

“It's a fun atmosphere with great beer and I'm excited for the latest brewing innovations.”  

Together, these head judges will ensure the competition runs smoothly and fairly, upholding the highest standards in beer judging. 

Table Captains

Brian Watson - New Zealand

Briony Liebich - Australia

Caolan Vaughan - Australia

Colin Mallon - New Zealand

Garry Menz - Australia

Ian Kingham - Australia

James Dittko - Australia

Jon Seltin - Australia

Kelly Ryan - New Zealand

Kevin te Wierik - Australia

Lachlan MacBean - Australia

Richard Adamson - Australia

Richard Watkins - Australia

Sam Bethune - Australia

Sarah Laing - Australia

Tom Champion - Australia

Tracy Banner - New Zealand

Judges

Ashley Hazell - Australia

Ben Jankowski - USA

Charles Nouwen - USA

Charlotte Freeston - Australia

Chris Sewell - Australia

Dan Cunningham – Australia

David Medlyn - Australia

Eduardo Orellana - Australia

Edwin Yang - Singapore

Emma Bigg - Australia

Emma Daniels - Australia

Emma Young - Australia

Henry Tier - Australia

Ian Morgan - Australia

Kade Wilson – Australia

Katie Jessup - Australia

Kris Domagala - Australia

Lang Yu - China

Mark Howes - Australia

Masafumi Morita - Japan

Michael Comerton - Vietnam

Mick Bentley - Australia

Nic Sandery  - Australia

Paul Holgate - Australia

Pia Poynton - Australia

Renn Blackman - Australia

Richard Chamberlin - Australia

Ross Brown - Australia

Sam Seward – Australia

Samara Fuss - Australia

Scott Hargrave - Australia

Shane Morley - New Zealand

Shaun Blissett - Australia

Simeon Bonetti - Australia

Sophie Goldsmith - Australia

Steve 'Hendo' Henderson - Australia

Tao Sha - China

Tetsuya Kojima - Japan

Tim Low - New Zealand

Tom Wood – Australia

Associate Judges

Andras Fehervari - Australia

Carla Naismith - Australia

Emily Usher - Australia

Hannah Fox – Australia

Hugh Irwin – Australia

Julia Santos Muriel - Australia

Lewis Kerr - Australia

Lindsay Crawford - Australia

Mike Colman - Australia

Nathaniel Reeves - Australia

Sean Rynne - Australia

Sylvia Guimaraes - Australia