Introducing the NEXTY Awards finalists for Natural Products Expo West 2022

The NEXTY judges have narrowed down the nearly 1,100 products entered for award consideration to just 100 finalists — of which fewer than two dozen will have an opportunity to win a coveted NEXTY Award on March 2.

These finalists will be included in the NEXTY Awards showcase at Natural Products Expo West and on the NPEV Community platform. In addition, the finalists will be featured in the March/April 2022 issue of Natural Foods Merchandiser magazine. Click here to learn more about the benefits of winning a NEXTY Award.

All natural products CPG brands were eligible for the competition this year, even if they were not exhibiting at Natural Products Expo West or on the Natural Products Expo Virtual platform. Brands responded in force, setting a new record for nominations even though the number of categories was cut to 18 from 23.

Five categories were introduced this year: Best New People-Forward Product, Best New Planet-Forward Product, Best New Organic or Regenerative Organic Certified Product, Best New Functional Food or Beverage and Best New Product Supporting a Plant-Based Lifestyle. These categories were open to a variety of products such as food, beverages, supplements, personal care and pet products.

Six guest judges helped the New Hope Network's editorial and standards teams choose the finalists and winners: Holly Adrien of The Kroger Co.; Kuvy Ax, ROOT Marketing & PR; Annie Brown, Rodale Institute; Bill Capsalis, Naturally Boulder; Brian Gordon, Accelerate 360; and Jessie Shafer, registered dietitian and former editor-in-chief of Delicious Living magazine. You can learn more about these industry experts here.

Related:Top trends to watch for at Natural Products Expo West 2022

To learn more about nominating a product for a NEXTY Award and the judging process, visit NextyAwards.com.

And now it's time to find out which amazing natural products brands made it to this year's finals. Click through our gallery to find out!

This article originally appeared on New Hope Network, a Supermarket News sister website.