Judging the NEXTY Awards is no easy task, which is why New Hope Network's in-house team gets invaluable help from some of the industry's most-experienced professionals when it comes to the final round.

This year will be no different, thanks to a cadre of guest judges comprised of natural product retailers, sustainability advocates and experts in CPG product development, branding and more.

These seven guest judges are tasked with helping select one winner in each of the 19 categories judged during this year's awards. The winners are chosen from a total of 73 finalists, which in turn were whittled down from more than 500 nominated products during the first round of NEXTY judging. 

The NEXTY Awards spotlight the best of the natural products industry and recognize brands taking the lead in terms of innovation, inspiration and integrity. 

For each round of judging, the judges gather to discuss, sample and debate how each product best demonstrates these attributes. These debates can get lively—particularly when trying to select a winner. 

Click through the gallery to see the guest judges for this exciting Expo East 2022 edition of the NEXTY Awards.