The Labologists Society

LOTY - Label of the Year Competition
18 Exceptional Years!

In 1983 the Society inaugurated an annual event with the dual intentions of recognising and encouraging exciting new label design and saying a BIG Thank You to the Breweries on whose good-will the Society relies for the bulk of the material, from which our collections are formed.

This is now the Society's premier yearly meeting and one at which we try and raise awareness of our hobby with the brewing industry, designers, artists, printers, the media and the public.

We invite all of the Breweries in Britain to submit their newly designed labels and associated material in the following categories :-

• Standard Label

• Commemorative Label

• Set of Labels

• Point of Sale Material

These items are judged by a small panel of Society members, who are appointed at our AGM.
All Breweries who are winners in the different categories are awarded certificates bearing a copy
of their successful design.

The 'LOTY' meeting has become the high spot of the Society's calendar. Each year 'LOTY' is hosted by a Brewery, who nominate a deserving charity for the year. Leading to a gathering of like-minded individuals and the presenting of the awards for the best judged labels of that year. 

The remainder of the day is charged towards raising as much money as possible via label sales, beer sales, auctions, raffles and donations for the charity. Culminating in the presentation of our cheque to a representative of the nominated charity, who is invariably pleasantly surprised at the generosity of our members and the Breweries involved.

If the past winners of 'LOTY' are anything to go by, then whatever Governments, Public Campaigns, Private Protesters and even Brewers can throw at the industry. The future label designers and their miniature art works will inform, advertise and blaze the brewer's craft well into the 21st century and excite Labologists to ever more fervent collecting. 

Previous Hosts of our 'LOTY' Event

1983 Bass, Burton-on-Trent, £ 500 for the Bass Vase (Local Hospitals).

1984 Young's, Wandsworth £ 400 for the Brewery Charity. 

1985 Vaux Brewery, Princess Louise, Holborn, £ 400 for the Helen House Hospice, Oxford.

1986 Morlands, Abingdon £ 500 for the Helen House Hospice, Oxford. 

1987 George Gale, Horndean, £ 500 for the Blendworth Hall Hostel, Horndean.

1988 Harvey's, Lewes, £ 550 for the Phoenix Centre, Lewes. 

1989 J.W. Lees, Middleton Junction, £ 810 for the Mayor of Rochdale's Charity Appeal. 

1990 Cotleigh Brewery, £ 1,394 for the Rose Meadow Hostel, Taunton. 

1991 Hook Norton, Oxfordshire, £ 1,443 for the Leukaemia Research Fund. 

1992 Tolly Cobbold, lpswich, £ 1,700 for the MacMillan Nurses. 

1993 Arkell's, Swindon, £ 2,229 for the Prospect Foundation Hospice, Swindon.

1994 Shepherd Neame, Faversham, £ 2,758 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

1995 Brakspears, Henley-on-Thames, £ 2,100 for the MacMillan Nurses. 

1996 Fullers, Chiswick, £ 2,900 for the Hammersmith Cancer Fund. 

1997 Shepherd Neame, Faversham, £ 2,553 for the Demelza House Children's Hospice.

1998 J.W.Lees, Manchester, £ 1,000 for Diabetes UK & £1,000 for Multiple Sclerosis Research. 

1999 Mansfield Brewery, £ 2,200 for the Imperial Cancer Research Fund.

2000 Harvey's Brewery, Lewes, £ 2,200 for the NSPCC. 

2001 Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, £ 2,000 for Leukaemia Research for Children.

As can be seen, medical charities have featured a number of times as recipients, and this year was no exception, with our hosts Black Sheep Brewery, nominating Leukaemia Research for Children. 

Over the years, the generosity of our members, and of numerous individuals at breweries up and down the country, in donating labels and other items of 'Breweriana' for either our sales stand or our charity auction, has allowed the Society to raise over £29,000 for charities through our 
Label Of The Year event.

This is a fantastic total, and of course could not have been achieved without the support of the numerous Brewery companies, which have kindly hosted this event over the years. There is always an impetus to surpass the previous years total, but the final outcome largely depends on members enjoying the event.

LOTY Results 2001 hosted by Black Sheep Brewery, Masham, N. Yorkshire.

Once again The Label of the Year Competition provided us with a magnificent display of the diversity and imagination, which can be employed in the seemingly mundane act of designing a beer bottle label and related items.

Best Standard Label

First Place - Hopdaemon Brewery, British Museum Ale. 
Second Place - Harvistoun Brewery, Bitter & Twisted.
Third Place - Castle Eden Brewery, Special.

Best Commemorative Label

First Place - Ventnor Brewery, Admirals Ale for the Admirals Cup 2001. 
Second Place - Shepherd Neame & Co Ltd. Kent Strong Ale for the commissioning of HMS Kent.
Third Place - J. W. Lees, Harvest Ale.

Best Set of Labels

First Place - Orkney Brewery, Red MacGregor, Northern Light, Dark Island, Raven Ale.
Second Place - Hook Norton Brewery, Generation, Double Stout, Haymaker, Light Ale.
Third Place - Young & Co.

Best Point Of Sale Material

First Place - Cotleigh Brewery, set of pump clips.
Second Place - Buffy's Brewery, set of pump clips.
Third Place - Hook Norton Brewery, set of pump clips.