Winners of the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award 2025 Announced
Rwanda wins the technical jury prize, while El Salvador takes home the consumer award
ROME, Nov. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The awards ceremony for the tenth edition of the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award, a flagship event in the sector that annually celebrates excellence and sustainability in coffee production, took place last night in the splendid setting of Palazzo Colonna in Rome.
This year, the prestigious "Best of the Best" accolade was awarded to Rwanda, specifically the Ngamba Coffee Washing Station – Sucafina S.A., represented by Emmanuel Akiba, for the outstanding quality and sustainability of its coffee, perfectly embodying the flavor characteristics illycaffè seeks from various origins. For the first time, the "Coffee Lovers Choice" award – given directly by consumers – was claimed by El Salvador, with Finca Villa Mercedes of Agroindustrial Yaya, represented by Juan Hosè Herrera, further confirming the growing international appreciation for its unique and distinctive coffees.
"The Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award is a benchmark for promoting quality, transparency, and sustainability in coffee production," explains Andrea Illy, Chairman of illycaffè. "The recognition granted to the winners has a significant impact on local communities, providing global visibility to producers and encouraging the adoption of environmentally and socially responsible agricultural practices. In a sector where quality arises from passion, tradition, and innovation, the award remains a fundamental tool for supporting the growth and competitiveness of producers in international markets."
The technical jury for the 2025 edition, made up of internationally renowned experts – technicians Carolina Castañeda, Matilde Maria Montero and Philip Schluter, illy Chef Ambassadors Francesco Apreda, Caterina Ceraudo and Matteo Metullio, journalists Luis Manuel Blasco Alis, Pierre de Gasquet and Adriano Sack – selected the Best of the Best, evaluating the competing samples according to strict criteria of quality, aroma, and sustainability. A new addition this year was the consumer jury, which gathered for the first time in the ITA Airways lounges in Rome, where illycaffè is a partner, to present the Coffee Lover's Choice award. For the occasion, the airline lounge was transformed into a venue for tasting and sharing, demonstrating the shared commitment to promoting Italian and global excellence.
The ceremony was attended by representatives from the global coffee supply chain and figures from institutional circles. Guest of honor was the renowned director and maestro Francis Ford Coppola, who mingled with well-known personalities from the entertainment industry such as Claudia Gerini and Alessandro Borghi.
The tenth edition of the International Coffee Award, which concluded at Palazzo Colonna, was rich in meaningful moments for the 27 finalists of 2025. The event opened with participation in an audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican and was further enhanced by a meeting at the FAO headquarters, where leading international experts tackled subjects such as regenerative agriculture and artificial intelligence, considered strategic levers for addressing the systemic crisis the coffee sector is facing. These engagements provided a valuable opportunity for dialogue and exchange among key players in the supply chain, strengthening the link between production excellence, innovation, and social responsibility.
illycaffè is an Italian family-owned company, founded in Trieste in 1933 which has always set itself the mission of offering the best coffee to the world. It produces a unique 100% Arabica blend composed of 9 different ingredients. The company selects only 1% of the best Arabica beans. Every day more than 10 million cups of illy coffee are served in over 140 countries around the globe, in the cafés, restaurants and hotels, in single-brand cafés and shops, at home and in the office, in which the company is present through subsidiaries and distributors.
Since its foundation, illycaffè has oriented its strategies towards a sustainable business model, commitment that it strengthened in 2019 by adopting the status of Benefit Company and in 2021 becoming the first Italian coffee company to obtain the international B Corp certification. Everything that is "made in illy" is about beauty and art, the founding principles of the brand, starting from its logo, designed by artist James Rosenquist, up to illy Art Collection cups, decorated by over 135 international artists, or coffee machines designed by internationally renowned designers. With the aim of spreading the culture of quality to growers, baristas and coffee lovers, the company has developed its Università del Caffè which today holds courses in 24 countries around the world. In 2024, the company had a turnover of €630 million. The illy single-brand network has 157 points of sale in 28 countries.
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