Brazil’s longest-running espresso quality competition marked its 35th anniversary on 7 May 2026 in São Paulo, honoring leading sustainable coffee producers and sending three Brazilian lots on to the global Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award later this year, according to event reports from CCCMG, Clube illy, Revista Cafeicultura and Folha Estado.
The 35º Prêmio Ernesto Illy de Qualidade Sustentável do Café para Espresso, created by illycaffè, reached a dual milestone: its 35th edition and 35 years in operation, during which it has recognized thousands of Brazilian coffee growers and distributed more than R$ 8 million in prizes, according to the Brazilian coverage cited above.
For the 2026 cycle, more than 400 coffee samples were submitted and evaluated blind by a jury of experts, Clube illy reported in its coverage of the competition. From these, 40 national finalists were selected and announced in November 2025, following a registration period that ran from June until 19 September 2025, according to agricultural news outlet Agrolink and Clube illy.
The three Brazilian national winners named at the São Paulo ceremony were Agro Fonte Alta from Sul de Minas, Raimundo Dimas Santana Filho from Matas de Minas, and São Mateus Agropecuária from Cerrado Mineiro, CCCMG and Clube illy reported. Each received R$ 10,000, diplomas and a trip to take part in the 11th Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award, which will be held abroad in the second half of 2026, where their final national ranking will also be revealed, according to the same sources.
Event coverage highlighted that producers from Minas Gerais state secured the top three national places among the 40 finalists, underlining the concentration of winning lots in this key Brazilian arabica region, according to CCCMG’s account. Regional awards also underscored the geographic breadth of participation, with winners named for Sul de Minas, São Paulo, Região Sul, Chapada de Minas, Matas de Minas, Cerrado Mineiro and Região Centro Oeste in the official lists published by CCCMG and Clube illy.
In parallel, the award recognized grading professionals through the “Classificador do Ano” category. According to CCCMG and Clube illy, Rafael Fernandes of Expocacer took first place, followed by Luiz Evandro Ribeiro of Cooxupé in second and Raphael Silva de França Santos of EISA in third.
Long-term partners were also brought to the stage. Revista Cafeicultura reported that Haroldo Barcelos Veloso, from Carmo do Paranaíba in Cerrado Mineiro, and Lúcio de Araújo Dias, from Guaranésia in Sul de Minas, were inducted into the Diamante category of Clube illy for supplying coffee to illycaffè for more than 20 consecutive years.
The 2026 ceremony included special tributes to grower José Carlos Grossi of Cerrado Mineiro, illycaffè representative Anna Illy, Experimental Agrícola do Brasil CEO and judging commission president Dr. Aldir Teixeira, and long-time contributors Ingrid Rauscher, Carlos Brando and Regina Teixeira, according to reports from CCCMG and Revista Cafeicultura.
In a statement published by Agrolink when registrations opened for the 35th edition, illycaffè said, “Seguimos comprometidos com a valorização dos produtores que investem em qualidade e sustentabilidade. Há 35 anos, o prêmio é parte central dessa missão,” underscoring the company’s framing of the award as a tool to value producers focused on quality and sustainable practices.
The 35-year impact of the prize was also reflected in testimonies from previous winners. Speaking on behalf of her mother, 34th national champion Leda Terezinha Pereira Lima, Arabela Pereira Lima told Revista Cafeicultura in 2025 that having their work recognized brought “uma alegria imensa” and described coffee production as “um ato de amor, de cuidado com a terra e com as pessoas,” calling the award “uma conquista coletiva” for their family, farm team and the broader community of Monte Santo de Minas.
According to Revista Cafeicultura’s report on the 34th cycle, Brazilian winners feed directly into a global circuit: in 2025, the international “Best of the Best” title went to a lot from Rwanda’s Ngamba washing station, represented by Sucafina S.A., while the “Coffee Lovers Choice” was awarded to El Salvador’s Finca Villa Mercedes, during a ceremony at Palazzo Colonna in Rome that included a papal audience and a meeting at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
