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
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
