Haute off the press (release):
GARDEN & GUN’S MADE IN THE SOUTH AWARDS CALL FOR THE BEST OF SOUTHERN MADE PRODUCTS AND ADDS A $10,000 GRAND PRIZE

CHARLESTON, SC–Garden & Gun kicks off the fifth annual Made in the South Awards entry process with an exciting development—this year the grand prizewinner will receive a $10,000 cash prize in addition to a prominent feature in the magazine’s December 2014/January 2015 issue. The Made in the South Awards were created by Garden & Gun to celebrate and encourage Southern craftsmen making products in one of five categories: Food, Drink, Style & Design, Outdoors, and Home.

“The Made in the South Awards continue to be a wonderful way to shine a spotlight on the talented artisans and entrepreneurs throughout the South. It’s been extremely gratifying to watch some of our past winners launch onto the national stage, and as we enter our fifth year, I’m delighted to offer a $10,000 prize for the overall winner. It’s a great addition to the attention the print coverage brings these brands,” says David DiBenedetto, vice president and editor in chief, Garden & Gun.

Click here to see Garden & Gun’s kick-off VIDEO.

This year’s judges will include Chris Hastings, owner and executive chef, Hot and Hot Fish Club, as well as a James Beard Award Winner (Food), and Natalie Chanin (Florence, AL), founder of Alabama Chanin, a design company with a strong commitment to using sustainable practices and local production in fashion, and winner of the 2013 CFDA/Lexis Eco-Fashion Challenge Award (Style & Design).

In addition to boosting the grand prize, Garden & Gun has partnered with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), a leading art and design university headquartered in Savannah, Georgia. SCAD will host the first-ever Made in the South Awards Gala, to be held on the SCAD campus in November 2014.

“Partnering with Garden & Gun on the Made in the South Awards is such a natural fit for SCAD. It’s the latest chapter in a great friendship between a trend-setting magazine and an art-making university. Like Garden & Gun, SCAD is dedicated to creating opportunities for designers and entrepreneurs to elevate their visibility and showcase their work,” says Paula Wallace, SCAD president and cofounder.

Who should enter: Any Southern artisan or business with a product in one of the five categories (Food, Drink, Style & Design, Outdoors, Home) that will be available for sale through January 2015 may apply.

How to enter: For entry forms, category descriptions, and rules, visit gardenandgun.com/madeinthesouth. First-round judging will be based solely on photos and product descriptions. Please do not send product. Entries are being accepted until 11:59 p.m. ET on August 1, 2014. Winners will be announced in the December 2014/January 2015 issue, which hits newsstands on November 25, 2014.

To follow the conversation on the awards, use #madeinthesouth on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as on gardenandgun.com.