Australian International Olive Awards 2025 – entries open Sunday!

Image: Some of last year’s winners.

By Laura Thomas

You’ve poured your heart and soul into your operation and you think you’ve got a great olive product.

But have you ever wondered how it might stack up against some of the best in Australia and the world?

Entries for the 2025 Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA) will open this Sunday 1 June – a great opportunity for growers and producers to pit their olive oils and table olives (pun intended!) against some of the best in the biz!

And with harvest well and truly underway across parts of Australia and a good crop expected, now is the time to start thinking about and preparing your entries.

Celebrating quality – about the Australian International Olive Awards

The AIOA is one of the most comprehensive olive oil and table olive competitions in the world.

Its aim is to professionally judge extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), flavoured olive oils and table olives from across the world, reveal those with the highest quality and flavour, and reward their excellence.

This is a national industry organisation-owned event, run by the industry for the industry.

Its purpose is simple – to promote and celebrate quality extra virgin olive oil, flavoured olive oil and table olive production, and to nurture growers and producers to improve and further develop that quality.

A word from AIOA Competition Convenor and Chief Steward, Trudie Michels

AIOA Chief Steward Trudie Michels is an accomplished olive oil, food and wine specialist with many years’ experience running olive oil masterclasses and education seminars and judging olive oil both on home soil and abroad.

A member of the Australian Olive Association, in 2017 she was engaged to take the AIOA onto the international stage and showcase quality Australian olive oil and products to the rest of the world.

She definitely knows her stuff!

Michels said both the international and Australian judges were looking forward to assessing a wide variety of aroma and flavour profiles in 2025.

We are looking forward to a great competition this year with many growers excited to finally have a good crop – fingers crossed for a successful ripening and harvest period,” she said.

“We had great feedback about the platinum awards and will continue these in 2025.”

Michels said the AIOA provided unrivalled brand exposure for producers, with entrants earning promotional dividends long after the winners were announced.

“Entrants were thrilled with their listing in the Producer Index at the rear of the results booklet. It provides a great resource for media, chefs, consumers and wholesalers to find more information about our olive producers. We are expecting more to get on board this year.”

Winning is marketing gold!

While submitting your olive product and having it assessed by the expert AIOA judging panel is rewarding in itself, actually winning is next level.

An AIOA win puts your brand and olive products at the forefront of the market, in view of the entire Australian olive industry, growers, producers and consumer, and on the world stage!

We’re not exaggerating when we say winning is marketing gold – there’s no better promotion for your business than taking home an  AIOA medal and trophy!

Major award winners will be celebrated at the Gala Awards Presentation Dinner in Adelaide on 30 October , while all awards and medal winners will be listed in the 2025 results book, on the Australian Olive Association and AIOA websites, as well as via Friday Olive Extracts and other media.

All bases are covered to ensure winners receive the recognition and promotion they deserve.

Key dates – AIOA 2025 

• Entries open: 1 June 2025
• Entries close: 22 August 2025
• Medal winners announced (via email to winners): 29 September 2025
• Key award winners announced at Gala Awards Presentation Dinner: Adelaide, 30 October 2025

More information
For more information about Australia’s peak olive awards or to lodge your entry from 1 June, visit the AIOA website.

The 2024 results book features judges’ feedback and profiles, entry statistics and more and can be found here. 

Consider becoming an Australian Olive Association member

Find out more about the benefits of joining the Australian olive industry’s national representative body, on the AOA website.