Carlton & United Breweries celebrated a back-to-back victory tonight, being crowned the 2024 Supplier of the Year for the second consecutive year.

The beer division of Asahi Beverages clinched two of the four highly coveted Supplier Awards, including the 2024 Category Management Award for the third year in a row. Casella Family Brands received the Most Improved Supplier Award, while Lion and Brown Family Wine Group jointly won the Supply Chain Management accolade.

Steve Andrews, Advantage Australia's Managing Director, presented the award on behalf of the company. He said, “The Supplier of the Year Award recognises excellence and engagement across the key disciplines that we value in the liquor industry. 

“Tonight's winner is building a reputation for being a customer-centric organisation that is building categories through excellence and innovation. It’s also a fantastic recognition of capability in their teams. And so the 2024 Supplier of the Year, going back to back, is CUB Beer.”

Danny Celoni, Carlon & United Breweries’ CEO was present to accept the Supplier of the Year Award.

In his speech, he said: “Customer centricity is at the heart of everything we do. It's one of the three pillars in our strategy. It's ingrained in our organisation. We talk about it all the time, and I'm just so happy that we're showing up in the way it makes a difference.

“To our customers, thank you for the challenges, thank you for the partnerships, thank you for leading us in the right direction, thank you for being honest when you need to be. I can promise you that we’ll continue to raise the bar and show up in the way that you need us to.”

Celoni also took the opportunity to thank his wider team.

“I'm so proud to be a part of a team where we're really inspired by making a difference and making great things happen, getting a little bit disruptive and trying new things.

“To the unsung heroes, the people that are in the manufacturing plants as we speak, rolling beers and RTDs off the manufacturing lines, to the guys driving trucks, in distribution centres….to all the people in the background that aren't always on the coal front, that have actually touched this award individually, a big thank all of you.”

All four Supplier Award winners were determined by the Engagement Program facilitated by the Drinks Association's Corporate Partner, Advantage Australia. Advantage has also been a dedicated sponsor of the Supplier of the Year Award since the first awards ceremony 12 years ago.

Andrews added: “At the recent Drinks Association Network Breakfast, we were privileged to hear Danny Celoni discuss the customer-centric journey their business has been on over the last few years.  

“Given the success of their whole-business approach to customer engagement that has been championed by the leadership team; it’s no surprise that retailers, wholesalers and on-premise groups have, for the second year in row, recognised Carlton & United Breweries as their best-in-class supplier partner.

“Carlton & United Breweries’ customers are particularly impressed with the proactive support for their strategies, underpinned by now three consecutive years of leadership in collaborative planning. Whilst there are many other competencies they excel in, this approach has become the heartland of their high engagement,.” said Andrews.

Edwina Bartholomew was MC at the live awards presentation on Thursday, 18 July that was attended by around 400 guests at the Hilton Sydney. Forty-eight awards were distributed throughout the night. In addition to the Supplier Awards, the 2024 Fan Favourite and Gaining in Popularity Brand Awards were announced, as well as three Contribution to Industry awards.

2024 Supplier Awards Winners

  • Supplier of the Year: Carlton & United Breweries
  • Most Improved Supplier of the Year: Casella Family Brands
  • Category Management Award: Carlton & United Breweries
  • Supply Chain Management: joint winners - Lion and Brown Family Wine Group

2024 Brand Awards Winners

There are 41 Brand Awards spread across the Fan Favourites and Gaining in Popularity categories. They are determined by automatically entering the top 200 drinks brands (identified from key retailer ranging and wholesaler withdrawal data) in each drinks category into the competition. Thrive Research then establishes the winners via a survey of 4,000 consumers.

A summary of the key trends that shaped the 2024 Drinks Awards Brand winners is available here.

2024 Contribution to Industry Award Winners

The Contribution to Industry Awards were refreshed this year to align with emerging priorities and challenges facing the drinks industry and introduce a renewed focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, wellbeing, and sustainability.

The three Contribution to Industry Awards categories were adjudicated by a panel of industry leaders, comprising members of the Drinks Association Board, representatives from member companies, and experts in Diversity & Inclusion, Sustainability, and Employee Health & Wellbeing.

This year’s winners were:

  • Best Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiative: Lion 
  • Best Wellbeing Initiative: Pernod Ricard Winemakers
  • Best Environmental Sustainability Initiative: Lion; Highly Commended awarded to Australian Vintage

The Drinks Association would like to extend its thanks to its generous sponsors for this year’s event.

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