The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW), the association representing shooting sports wholesalers, manufacturers, and their trade partners, is excited to announce the winners of their annual Appreciation and Caliber Awards virtually, in place of their Appreciation Dinner during the Annual NASGW Expo, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Despite the NASGW not being able to host our Annual Expo this year, the show must go on," said Kenyon Gleason, NASGW President. "In true 2020 fashion, our awards announcement may virtual but this year's winners stood out in both the Appreciation Awards and the Caliber Awards, despite all the craziness our industry has seen."
Each year the NASGW Expo brings together wholesalers and manufacturers within the shooting sports industry to get a first look at new products and plan sales for the upcoming year. Like many events in 2020, the NASGW Expo was cancelled so this year's awards presentations will be posted on the NASGW Expo website (nasgwexpo.org).
Winners for the NASGW Appreciation Awards are:
Firearm Manufacturer of the Year
- Glock
Optics Manufacturer of the Year
- Leupold & Stevens, Inc.
Ammunition Manufacturer of the Year
- Hornady
Accessory Manufacturer of the Year
- Magpul Industries
Importer of the Year
- Aguila
Innovator of the Year
- Hornady
In addition to the Annual Appreciation Awards, the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW) in partnership with the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), have chosen the top products in six categories including: Best New Rifle, Best New Handgun, Best New Shotgun, Best New Ammunition, Best New Optic, and Best New Accessory. An independent panel of 18 industry judges selected the winners in each category as well as a Best Overall New Product. In order to qualify, manufacturers needed to be a NASGW member in good standing, the product must have been publicly released between the end of last year’s NASGW Expo and the beginning of this year’s Expo, and submission of the products was required through the NASGW Expo New Product Showcase, found on the NASGW Expo website and NASGW Connect mobile app.
"The NASGW-POMA Caliber Awards represent the best of the best new products in our industry," said Kenyon Gleason, NASGW president. "Our expert panel of 18 judges spent weeks narrowing down approximately 150 new products, so these seven Caliber Award winners definitely outshined the competition."
The Caliber Awards offer a unique, unbiased approach to recognizing and honoring new innovative products. The voting panel is comprised of the people who buy and sell these products on a daily basis as well as the media members who review and report on these products in the field.
"Congratulations to the seven Caliber Award Winners," said POMA Executive Director Thomas MacAulay. "It truly was a challenging task to narrow down all the new products to this select group. It is exciting to see the products in our industry continue to grow and improve through innovation."
Being chosen as a finalist is an honor itself. Over 150 submissions were narrowed down by the panel to three finalists in each category. Judges were asked to consider the uniqueness, market need, the value of the product, the ingenuity, and presentation. The finalists for this year’s Caliber Awards are:
Best New Accessory
- Mantis - Blackbeard
Best New Optic
- SIG SAUER - RomeoZero
Best New Ammunition
- Federal Ammunition - Force X2
Best New Handgun
- Springfield Armory - Hellcat OSP
Best New Rifle
- Bergara - Mountain Rifle 2.0
Best New Shotgun
- Mossberg - 940™ JM Pro
Best New Overall Product
- Ruger - Ruger-57™
About NASGW
The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers is comprised of wholesalers, manufacturers, independent sales reps, media and service providers - both national and international - all of whom are primarily focused on shooting sports equipment and accessories. As a trade association representing the business interests of its members, NASGW’s mission is to bring shooting sports buyers and sellers together. For more information about the NASGW, visit the association’s website at www.nasgw.org.
About POMA
POMA continues to uphold its tradition of promoting excellence in communications at all levels. This includes connecting the companies and organizations whose focus is the outdoor industry with the content creators who can help tell their stories and promote their products.