New Hope Natural Media and Sterling-Rice Group Unveil the NEXTY Editors' Choice Awards Winners

BOULDER, Colo., July 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- New Hope Natural Media and Sterling-Rice Group today unveiled the NEXTY Editors' Choice awards winners, which have been bestowed upon leaders and innovators in the natural, organic and healthy living market across food, beverage, supplement and natural living categories. These industry provocateurs are helping to shape the landscape of the natural products world.  

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The Editors' Choice winners are chosen by the NEXT Forecast researchers, which includes New Hope's content team, based on their deep understanding of the market. The winners represent the company in each category believed to be making a positive impact in the industry.

The NEXTY Editors' Choice award winners are chosen in the Foods & Beverages, Supplements and Ingredients, and Beauty and Natural Living categories.  This year's NEXTY Editors' Choice awards winners are:

• Food and Beverage: Chapul – www.chapul.com
  The world is hungry for protein, and Chapul is helping to meet this growing demand with a line of innovative and delicious nutrition bars packed with cricket protein.
• Supplements and Ingredients: Gaia Herbs – www.gaiaherbs.com
  Consumers are increasingly turning to curcumin for help with chronic pain, joint support, cognitive function, and more. Gaia Herbs stands at the forefront of this exploding market with its Turmeric Supreme line of curcumin extracts.
• Beauty and Natural Living: Soapbox Soaps – www.soapboxsoaps.com
  SoapBox Soaps not only makes great natural soaps and other personal care products, the company is raising the bar for purpose-driven business with its buy-one-give-one model, which provides soap, fresh water and vitamin supplements to children across the globe. 

"Choosing this year's NEXTY Editors' Choice winners wasn't easy given the strength and breadth of our 105 nominees; however, the NEXT Forecast research team agreed that Chapul, Gaia Herbs and Soapbox Soaps each represented the best of the best in their respective categories," said Carlotta Mast, Senior Director of Content & Insights, New Hope Natural Media. "Along with all of our NEXTY nominees, these companies are helping to build a healthy, more sustainable and mission-focused future for natural products."

"After months of tracking the natural products space, we felt these companies most represented the trends and opportunities that we believe will shape the future of this industry," said John Grubb, Managing Partner, Sterling-Rice Group.

In addition to the Editor's Choice awards, New Hope Natural Media recently announced the Popular Vote NEXTY awards winners. Chosen via online community voting, the Popular Vote winners are: Bitsy's Brainfood in Food and Beverage; Youtheory in Supplements and Ingredients; and Ohana Organics in Beauty and Natural Living.

The NEXTY awards are part of the NEXT Forecast, a joint venture between New Hope and Sterling-Rice Group. The NEXT Forecast is the premier insider's guide to where the natural products market is now—and where it's headed.  The NEXTY winners will be honored at an awards ceremony at Natural Products Expo East, September 18-20, 2014 in Baltimore, MD.

The NEXTY Awards and NEXT Forecast are part of New Hope Natural Media's NEXT suite of products, which were created to support and accelerate innovation within the natural products industry.

For additional information about the NEXT Forecast, visit www.nextforecast.com.

For more information about the full NEXT product portfolio, visit www.nextknows.com.

About New Hope Natural Media
New Hope Natural Media is the leading media resource and information provider for the natural, organic and healthy products industry, with print, in-person/event, and e-business products and services.

About Sterling-Rice Group
Sterling-Rice Group is a 30 year old, Boulder-based, strategy, innovation and communication firm serving brands primarily in food, beverage, and personal care.  Nutrition, health and wellness are at the core of our 120 person culture.

CONTACT:
Heather Smith
Public Relations
New Hope Natural Media
Phone: (303) 998-9232
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE New Hope Natural Media