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Organic Industry Celebrates Change Makers at “An Organic Night Out with Sprouts and Friends”  
Winners in business, brand and research categories were celebrated at third annual premier awards event at Expo West

ANAHEIM, CA (March 5, 2026) —  The organic industry celebrated innovation, science and leadership on Wednesday night at the Natural Products Expo West trade show at the third annual premier awards event. More than 600 attendees joined this year’s “Organic Oscars” recognizing the outstanding successes of organic brands and organizations helping to grow the $76-billion sector and communicate the value of the USDA Organic seal.  

Hosted by The Organic Center and Organic Voices, “An Organic Night Out with Sprouts and Friends” showcased honorees in nine categories – all nominated and chosen by their peers.  Gary Hirshberg, industry visionary and co-founder of the world’s largest organic yogurt company Stonyfield Farm, emceed the awards ceremony. Hirshberg was joined on stage by industry leaders including Walter Robb, former CEO of Whole Foods Markets, Matthew Dillon and Tom Chapman, Co-CEOs of the Organic Trade Association, as well as Dr. Amber Sciligo, Senior Director of Science Programs for The Organic Center, and Katrina Staves, Executive Director of Organic Voices.  

“The organic industry continues to lead and inspire and for the third-year honored award-winners who are doing remarkable work in groundbreaking science, emerging innovation, and creative marketing and education, said Hirshberg. “Behind these well-deserved winners are incredible teams of change-makers who are driving the organic industry forward with greater momentum than ever before. We could not be prouder of their accomplishments including the important work to continue educating shoppers about the trust and value of the USDA Organic seal.”  

See highlights from the evening in the photo gallery  

Awards were given in the following nine categories: 

Organic Company of the Year; Best New Organic Food Product; Best New Organic Beverage Product; Best New Organic Non-Food Product; Best Organic Messaging (Social Media or PR); Best Organic Retailer Activation; Best Organic Supplier; Emerging Organic Brand of the Year; and the Excellence Award for Most Impactful Organic Research Finding. 

“Sprouts is committed to helping people live and eat better, including engaging in events to bring the organic community together which is why we are so proud to support “An Organic Night Out” for the second year,” said Kim Coffin, Chief Forager of Sprouts. “We believe in the values of organic and in helping shoppers understand the benefits not only for their personal well-being, but also for the health of animals and the planet. It is an honor to be part of the organic industry that continues to lead with purpose and build a healthier world.” 

And the Winners Are ... 

• Organic Company of the Year: This award recognizes the company which has done the most to advance interest, awareness, sales, and support of certified organic products.

  This year’s honoree is Amy’s Kitchen, a pioneer of the organic food movement. A family-owned organic food company and Certified B Corporation® Amy’s was founded in 1987 and is guided by a simple mission to make good food for everyone at the table. By cooking real, great-tasting meals with carefully sourced organic ingredients, today Amy’s offers hundreds of frozen and packaged products in the U.S. and in more than 11 countries worldwide. 

• Best New Organic Food Product: This honor goes to the organic product delivering real excitement and novelty to the market while creating the most positive impression of organic ‘goodness’ and effectively communicating the benefits of organic to consumers.

  This year’s award goes to Ocean’s Halo Organic Fried Rice Kimbap. Fried rice is the leading Asian recipe consumed in the U.S., while sushi-style rolls are the most popular and fastest growing format for Asian meals and snacks. Inspired by that, Organic Fried Rice Kimbap is a delicious, unexpected fusion of two craveable favorites that feels both comforting and new. 

• Best New Organic Beverage: Similar to the Best New Organic Food product, the Best New Organic Beverage Product goes to the brand that delivers real excitement and novelty to the market and creates the most positive impression of organic ‘goodness’ while also effectively communicating the benefits of organic to consumers.

  The winner of this category is Nixie Cream Soda, Organic Zero Sugar. Cream Soda is one of the most iconic and nostalgic soda flavors in the U.S., yet until Nixie, none were USDA Certified Organic, zero-calorie, and free from artificial sweeteners. Nixie’s Cream Soda is filled with real vanilla extract and extra fizz for a refreshing organic sugar-free take on this classic flavor. 

• Best New Non-food product: This award honors a dietary supplement, personal care, textile, pet food or other non-food-item that delivers real excitement and novelty to the market, and that creates the most positive impression of organic ‘goodness’.

  This year’s honoree is Vottera, for their Regenerative Organic Certified cotton polo shirts. The new apparel line is led by Vik and Vizan Giri, the same father-daughter team behind Terra Thread. The Vottera brand expands their mission beyond sustainable bags to offer ethically crafted and produced sustainable apparel.  

• Most Impactful Research Finding: This award recognizes the organic research result or finding that most excites and motivates consumers, retailers, food service and restaurateurs to choose organic.

  The honoree for this category is Dr. Joji Muramoto, the first Cooperative Extension Specialist at the University of California system fully dedicated to organic agriculture. Based at UC Santa Cruz, his research advances integrated soil health management and sustainable organic farming systems across California. Widely regarded as one of the state’s leading organic agriculture scholars, Dr. Muramoto is best known for pioneering anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) as an alternative to chemical soil fumigants in strawberry production. This ecologically and economically sound method is now used on more than 2,000 acres in Coastal California and has been studied and adopted in 12 U.S. states and nine countries worldwide. 

• Best Organic Messaging (Social Media or PR): This award recognizes the best marketing or communications messaging that excites consumers about the benefits of organic in terms of human health, animal welfare, climate and the environment.

  The winner of this category is Stonyfield Farm, the world’s largest organic yogurt company. Through a year-long, integrated public relations and social media strategy, Stonyfield translated complex benefits like soil health, animal welfare, climate impact and ingredient integrity into documentary content, celebrity partnerships, and immersive influencer experiences, rooted in the brand’s long-time leadership in organic. 

• Best Organic Retailer: This award honors the most creative and effective organic in-store or digital communication conveying news about organic or reasons to buy organic that educate and motivate today’s consumer.

  This year’s award went to PCC Community Markets, a certified organic retailer and the largest food co-op in the U.S. with 16 stores and 122,000 active member-owners. Founded in 1953, PCC is committed to a triple bottom line, balancing environmental, social and economic goals with a mission to promote the health and well-being of people, communities and the planet through good food, while cultivating vibrant local, organic food systems. 

• Best Organic Supplier or Distributor: The Best Organic Supplier award is presented to the supplier demonstrating exceptional commitment to advancing organic agriculture by providing high-quality, certified organic ingredients, materials, or services to brands, manufacturers, or retailers. The winner not only meets the highest organic standards but also goes above and beyond by supporting farmers and growers, as well as educating and inspiring their partners about the benefits of organic, contributing to the overall growth and integrity of the organic industry.

  This year’s winner is Tradin Organic, a leading global supplier of certified organic, plant-based ingredients, offering a portfolio of more than 200 ingredients sourced from origins around the world. Through long-term partnerships, rigorous quality standards, and collaborative supply chain models, Tradin Organic helps strengthen resilient organic supply chains and sustainable brands. Guided by its mission to make organic everyone’s first choice, so nature can nourish our shared future, Tradin Organic is committed to advancing the integrity and impact of the organic sector. 

• Emerging Organic Brand of the Year: This award honors a new business of five years or less that has made significant strides in revenue growth, exposure, innovation, or market penetration while leading with clear messaging about the benefits of organic.

  The winner of this category is Mojave Mallows. Founded by former Girl Scouts, Mojave Mallows creates certified organic marshmallows using dates for a softer marshmallow with a lower melting point that grownups love too. Dotted with vanilla beans, these artisanal treats can be roasted, snacked, baked, and dunked in hot cocoa. 

Congratulations to all the winners and nominees in each category. For more information about participating in An Organic Night Out in 2027, please contact Katrina Staves katrina@onlyorganic.org. 

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About The Organic Center
The Organic Center is a nonprofit research and education organization whose mission is to convene credible, evidence-based science on the health and environmental impacts of organic food and farming and to communicate the findings to the public. The Center works to fill critical industry knowledge gaps by managing research projects and providing tools and training to help organic farmers and businesses thrive. Its research projects focus on climate change mitigation and environmental health, human health, and building tools and solutions to support organic operations. The Center operates under the administrative auspices of the Organic Trade Association. For more information, visit The Organic Center.

About Organic Voices
Organic Voices is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help consumers better appreciate and eliminate confusion about all the benefits of Organic. It is dedicated to educating consumers about the significance of the USDA Organic seal, ROC certification, and GOTS certification through its Only Organic campaign. It creates compelling educational content tailored to inform and engage consumers, using multiple online channels to reach new audiences through large-scale consumer-facing campaigns. Partnering with brands, retailers, farmers, and consumers, Organic Voices strives to amplify the message of the benefits of organic and establish a unified voice throughout the organic industry. For more information visit Organic Voices.