Garden & Gun, in Partnership with Explore Charleston, Announce Entries for the 15th Annual Made in the South Awards are Now Open Through June 17, 2024

Currently offering discounted entry fee for limited-time and increased grand prize

CHARLESTON, S.C., April 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Garden & Gun, in partnership with Explore Charleston, announces entry for the annual Made in the South Awards is now open through June 17. The entry fee will be discounted from $75 to $50 through April 30. This year, the overall winner will receive a $15,000 cash prize to commemorate the fifteenth year of uplifting Southern makers – a $5,000 increase from previous years – and all winners and runners-up will be prominently featured in the December 2024/January 2025 issue.

Garden & Gun created the Made in the South Awards in 2010 to celebrate and encourage Southern craftsmanship, and to spotlight under-the-radar Southern-made goods. The magazine seeks entries in six categories: Food, Drink, Home, Style, Outdoors, and Crafts, with a special award for Sustainability. Each year, a new panel of judges who are experts in their respective fields are selected to help choose the honorees. This year’s judges include Alexander Smalls, Marianne Eaves, Gray Benko, Holly Williams, Ann and Sid Mashburn, and T. Edward Nickens.

“Looking back over the past fifteen years, we’ve had the honor to connect with so many unique and creative Southern innovators,” says David DiBenedetto, Senior Vice President and Editor-in-Chief. “These makers are the heart and soul of the South and being able to share their stories and create such an impact on their business is something we are incredibly proud of.”

Thanks to Garden & Gun‘s highly-engaged and enthusiastic readership, winning this award has proven to be life-changing for small businesses. As a result, many winners have had to hire production teams just to fulfill the volume of orders, and sold out of inventory completely just days after the awards hit newsstands.

“Explore Charleston is delighted to sponsor this year’s Made in the South Awards, and we commend the remarkable talent and passion of all participants,” says Helen T. Hill, CEO of Explore Charleston. “The Charleston area’s rich history and vibrant culture continuously inspire innovation. From its impressive architecture to its burgeoning food scene, we are constantly reimagining our identity, while staying true to our roots, much like the makers we will support and celebrate in the Made in the South Awards.”

All Southern artisans or businesses with a product in one of the six categories that will be available for sale through January 2025 are eligible to enter. Entries will be accepted now until 11:59 P.M. EST on June 17. For more information, visit madeinthesouthawards.com. Winners will be announced in the December 2024/January 2025 issue of Garden & Gun, which will hit newsstands November 2024.

About Garden & Gun
Garden & Gun is a multiplatform media company that celebrates stories of the American South through powerful journalism, bold photography, exquisite design, and finely curated retail and experiential journeys. The brand is anchored by its award-winning national magazine launched in 2007, Garden & Gun, which reports on the South’s sporting culture, food, music, art, literature, and its people and their ideas. The coveted audience of 1.6 million is further engaged through numerous New York Times best-selling books, Fieldshop by Garden & Gun retail experience, the Garden & Gun Club restaurants, and 75+ events each year. Visit gardenandgun.com.

About Explore Charleston
As the region’s destination marketing and management organization, Explore Charleston seeks to unify and lead the local travel industry in promoting the Charleston area, create overnight visitation, and support responsible development through travel and tourism strategies.