São Paulo, May 8, 2026 - The award ceremony for the 35th Ernesto Illy Award for Sustainable Coffee Quality for Espresso marked another chapter in the history of one of the most important and traditional awards in Brazilian coffee farming.
Celebrating its 35th anniversary, the Award reaffirms its commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovation in coffee production.
Created with the purpose of valuing producers and encouraging excellence in espresso coffee production, the Ernesto Illy Award was a pioneer in establishing rigorous quality guidelines combined with sustainable practices. During its history, it has recognized thousands of coffee growers throughout the country and contributed to the dissemination of a culture of continuous improvement in the sector.
Its relevance has transcended Brazil's borders and given rise to the Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award, which brings together the best coffees produced in illycaffè's supplier countries, consolidating a global model based on quality, traceability, and sustainability.
In this edition, Minas Gerais once again excelled, winning the top three places among the 40 finalists selected by a judging panel made up of national and international experts from illycaffè.
The three national winners received diplomas and prizes valued at R$ 10,000 each and guaranteed a place in the 11th Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award, which will be held abroad in the second half of this year.
The Brazilian winners were: Agro Fonte Alta (Sul de Minas), Raimundo Dimas Santana Filho (Matas de Minas), and São Mateus Agropecuária (Cerrado Mineiro).
During the ceremony, the regional winners and the recipients of the Classifier of the Year Award were also unveiled. The recognition highlights the work of the professionals responsible for the rigorous evaluation and classification of the coffee samples, a fundamental step in ensuring the standard of excellence that distinguishes the coffees selected by illycaffè.
Ernesto Illy Award - Regional:
Sul de Minas
Winner - Agro Fonte Alta
Runner-up - Júlio Cezar Diniz
São Paulo
Winner - Daniella Romano Pelosini
Runner-up - José Carlos Oms
Região Sul
Winner - Luiz Roberto Saldanha Rodrigues
Chapada de Minas
Winner - Luis Manuel Martins da Silva
Runner-up - Fazenda Sequóia Minas
Matas de Minas
Winner - Raimundo Dimas Santana Filho
Runner-up - Matheus Lopes Sanglard
Cerrado Mineiro
Winner - São Mateus Agropecuária
Runner-up - Décio Bruxel
Região Centro Oeste
Winner - Gelci Zancanaro
Ernesto Illy Award - Classifier of the Year
3rd Place - Raphael Silva de França Santos - São Paulo - EISA
2nd Place - Luiz Evandro Ribeiro - SDM - Cooxupé
1st Place - Rafael Fernandes - Cerrado - Expocacer
