Here are some photographs from the award ceremony for the 2006 Great American Beer Festival, held September 28-30, in Denver, Colorado.

Ray Daniels, Director of Craft Beer Marketing, begins the ceremonies with the beer journalism awards.

The awards, sponsored by Rogue Ales and Samuel Adams, were given to Don Russell for his Joe Sixpack Beer Reporter column in the Philadelphia Daily News, Carolyn Smagalski for work that appeared in the Beer & Brewing section of BellaOnline, and Tony Galea for an article in Yankee Brew News.

Then Nancy Johnson, Event Director, welcomed everyone and introduced Charlie Papazian.

Charlie Papazian, founder and President of the Brewers Association, made some opening remarks before the awards began.

Geno Acevedo, of El Toro Brewing in Morgan Hill, California, won a Silver for William Jones Wheat in Category: 2 American-Style Wheat Beer.

Jim Koch, of the Boston Beer Co., won a Bronze for Samuel Adams’ Utopias 2003 in Category: 10 Experimental Beer. Boston beer also won a Gold for Samuel Adams Octoberfest in Category: 24 German-Style Märzen / Oktoberfest.

Eric Warner, of Santa Barbara Brewing, won Silver for his Barrel 001 in Category: 11 Wood- and Barrel-aged Beer.

John Harris, of Full Sail Brewing, also won a Silver for his Black Gold Imperial Stout in Category: 12 Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer.

Ted Vivatson of Eel River Brewing in Fortuna, California won a Gold Medal for Triple Exultation in Category: 13 Aged Beer (Ale or Lager), and he also won a Silver for the same beer in Category: 67 Old Ale / Strong Ale.

Teri Fahrendorf, head of brewing operations for Steelhead accepted the award for their Irvine brewery. Steelhead won a Silver Medal for U.C.I.P.A. in Category: 14 Cellar or Unfiltered Beer.

Darron Welch and the gang from Pelican Pub & Brewery in Pacific City, Oregon won Gold for their Kiwanda Cream Ale in Category: 32 Golden or Blonde Ale. Pelican Pub also won Silver for MacPelican’s Scottish Style Ale in Category: 45 Scottish-Style Ale, another Gold for Doryman’s Dark Ale in Category: 48 American-Style Brown Ale, yet another Gold for Tsunami Stout, Pelican Pub & Brewery in Category: 61 Foreign (Export)-Style Stout, and even another Silver for Stormwatcher’s Winterfest in Category: 69 Barley Wine-Style Ale.

Rich Norgrove and Team Bear Republic from Healdsburg, California wins their third award, a Silver Apex Ale (should that be Racer 5?) in American-Style India Pale Ale. They also won a Bronze for XP Pale Ale in Category: 37 American-Style Pale Ale and a another Silver for Racer’s (perhaps this is Racer 5, too?) in Category: 38 American-Style Strong Pale Ale.

Tonya Cornett (at left) from Bend Brewing in Bend, Oregon won a Gold for HopHead Imperial IPA in Category: 39 American-Style India Pale Ale.

Vinnie Cilurzo from Russian River Brewing and Jeff Bagby from Pizza Port – Carlsbad hug in the excitement of a West Coast sweep of Category: 40 Imperial or Double India Pale Ale, along with Oggi’s Pizza & Brewing.

Jeff Bagby (at left in the electric pants) and assistant brewer Noah Regnery, of Pizza Port – Carlsbad, in Carlsbad, California, won his second medal of the day, a Silver for Poor Man’s IPA in Imperial or Double India Pale Ale. He earlier won another Silver for Beech Street Bitter in Category: 36 English-Style India Pale Ale.

Vinnie Cilurzo from Russian River Brewing, likewise won his second medal, a Gold for Pliny the Elder in Category: 40 Imperial or Double India Pale Ale. Vinnie’s first medal was a Bronze for Aud Blonde in Category: 32 Golden or Blonde Ale.

Josh and Tomme Arthur from Pizza Port – Solana Beach in Solana Beach, California won a Silver for their Shark Attack in Category: 42 Imperial or Double Red Ale.

Mitch Steele (center) won his first medal, a Bronze, as a Stone brewer, from Escondido, California, in Category: 44 Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter.

Matt Brynildson (at right) and the gang from Firestone Walker Brewing struck Gold for their Firestone Walker IPA in Category: 44 Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter.

Daniel Del Grande and Peter from Bison Brewing in Berkeley, California also won Gold for their Organic Farmhouse Ale in Category: 53 French- Belgian-Style Saison.

Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Delaware can’t keep still as he finally comes on stage for his second award, this one a Bronze for Festina Lente in Category: 55 Belgian-Style Sour Ale. He’d earlier won a Bronze for World Wide Stout in Category: 13 Aged Beer (Ale or Lager).

Vinnie and Natalie Cilurzo frm Russian River Brewing won their third medal, this one a Silver for Beatification in Category: 55 Belgian-Style Sour Ale.

While the Gold for Category: 55 Belgian-Style Sour Ale went to New Belgium Brewing for their La Folie. Here co-founder Jeff Lebesch, head brewer Peter Bouckert and their head cellerman accept the award.

Rob Tod, from Allagash in Portland, Maine won a Gold for his Tripel Ale in Category: 56 Belgian-Style Abbey Ale. Rob also won a Silver for his Interlude in Category: 57 Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale.

Troy Paski, of Hoppy Brewing in Sacramento, California, won Bronze for their Total Eclipse Black Ale in Category: 58 Robust Porter.

Bear Republic’s Rich Norgrove on stage for his fourth time to pick up a Bronze for his Peter Brown Tribute Ale in Category: 59 Brown Porter.

Owner Brendan Moylan, brewer Shane, and head brewer Arne Johnson of Marin Brewing in Larkspur, California won a Bronze for their San Quentin’s Breakout Stout in Category: 61 Foreign (Export)-Style Stout.

Jeff Bagby, of Pizza Port – Carlsbad, carrying his assistant brewer, Noah Regnery, on stage to accept their fourth medal, this one a Gold for their Sticky Stout in Category: 62 American-Style Stout. To read the story about why Jeff was carrying Noah on his shoulders, check out Stan Hieronymous’ Appellation Beer.

Michael Ferguson (at right), Director of Brewery Operations for BJ’s Restaurant Breweries and his Portland brewer accept the Bronze for their Lasto’s Oatmeal Stout in Category: 64 Oatmeal Stout.

Marc Rosenblum, head brewer at Seabright Brewery in Santa Cruz, California, along with his assistant George Costa, accepting the Silver award for their Seabright Oatmeal Stout in Category: 64 Oatmeal Stout.

While brewer Craig Cauwels and owner Shawn Burns of Schooner’s Grille & Brewery in Antioch, California won the Gold in Category: 64 Oatmeal Stout for Craig’s Oatmeal Stout.

Nabbing four medals, Bear Republic Brewing Co. of Healdsburg, California, with Rich Norgrove, won a well-deserved Small Brewery Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year.

And Pelican Pub & Brewery, with five wins, took home, along with Darron Welch, the Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Company Brewer of the Year.