American Autoflower Cup
A Los Angeles competition and festival for autoflowering cannabis genetics, founded by filmmaker Jeremy Norrie, which reached its fourth annual edition in 2026.
- 54results on record
- 2023–2026years in our data
- 4editions
- 46matched to strains
- Be True Los Angeleslatest location
01How it began
The American Autoflower Cup is an annual Los Angeles competition and festival devoted to autoflowering cannabis genetics. It was founded by Jeremy Norrie, whom The Source describes as a filmmaker and cannabis enthusiast1. The first edition took place in 2023 on the city's "Green Street", though the sources do not give the exact day1. Norrie set it up to recognise leading autoflower breeders across the US and the genetic work behind their strains1.
The Source says the Cup was the first US competition dedicated to autoflower genetics1. The article links the Cup to California's Proposition 64, the 2016 measure that legalised adult-use cannabis including home growing, and was written seven years after that law was signed1.
02The story so far
The first edition had three categories: best autoflower sativa, best autoflower indica and best autoflower breeder1. According to The Source, the lab partners Encore Labs and Leafworks supported the judging and helped keep it fair1. A second annual Cup was planned for January 2024, although the article gives no day1. By 2026 the event had reached its fourth annual edition, which points to editions in 2023, 2024, 2025 and 20262.
The 2025 edition drew close to 80 entries, which Ganjapreneur treats as a turning point for the category2. That year also brought a new Best Auto Hash category for bubble hash and solventless rosin made from autoflowers. The same outlet saw this as a sign that views of autoflowers were changing2.
03Culture and community
The Cup is not only a contest. The Source says it also runs seminars, workshops and networking events1. Norrie is also behind other Los Angeles cannabis events, including The Secret Cup, which The Source bills as the first hash-focused cannabis competition, and the Chalice California festival1. The Best Autoflower Breeder prize is decided by public vote2.
The judges have come from cannabis media and culture. The first panel included Joey Burger, Jenny Beth and Sincerely Cali. Content creators named for the second edition included Haylo Autoflowers, Juvar of Dusa Farms, and Neil and Heaven of Highigan1. The judges announced for 2026 were Kyle Kushman, Danny Danko, Jenn Doe, Maxwell Pharms, Austin Kress, IcanTHC, Madman Plant, Jordan Harker of Autoflower.org and journalist David Downs. Ganjapreneur says each judge scores the entries blind and carries equal weight2.
The 2026 awards night also had some entertainment. Judge Austin Kress was due to perform a stand-up comedy set, and comedian Adam Ill was returning to host the ceremony for a fourth year2. Every ticket included an Education & Mental Health Panel during the awards evening, covering cultivator burnout, creative pressure and learning curves2. ELEMENTS was the official rolling sponsor, and the other sponsors included Grove Bags, AC Infinity, Dr. Dabber, Neptune's Harvest and Doctor Zymes2.
04Where it stands now
The most recent source we have is a preview of the fourth annual Cup, held on 31 January 2026 at Be True Los Angeles2. Because the preview was written before the event, it says nothing about how the day went, and our sources do not record the 2026 results.
When the preview was published, entry registration, ticket sales and the community breeder vote were all open on the Cup's website, and Norrie was leading the event as its curator2. Ganjapreneur says the Cup's international reach is growing. It gives no figures or countries, so this page does not record how far that reach extends2.
05What comes next
Our sources mention no plans for editions after January 2026. Their only look ahead is Ganjapreneur's expectation that the 2026 hash category would be more competitive, with more extractors taking part2. Dates, venues and format changes for any later Cup are not documented.
The results, in our data
CannaLib holds 54 results from this cup across 4 years (2023 to 2026), 46 of them matched to a strain in the catalogue.
Recent first-place strains
| Year | Strain | Category | Entrant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | West Coast Whistle | Best Overall Auto 2026 | Night Owl Seeds |
| 2026 | Apricot Auto | Best Rosin 2026 |  Fast Buds |
| 2026 | 505 Headbanger | Highest THC Autoflower 2026 (33.88%) |  Mephisto Genetics |
| 2026 | Dawg Snacks | Best Look Auto 2026 | Alebrije Genetics |
| 2026 | The Cheese | Best Terps Auto 2026 | Twenty20 |
| 2026 | Garlic Jam | Best Smoking Auto 2026 | Atlas Seeds |
| 2025 | Sundae Thumper | Best Auto Hybrid 2025 | Mephisto Genetics |
| 2025 | Love Bomb Auto | Best New Strains 2025 | Twenty20 Mendocino |
| 2025 | Orange Sherbet Auto | Best Auto Hash 2025 | Fast Buds |
| 2025 | Mendo Breath Auto | Highest THC Autoflower 2025 | Atlas Seeds |
| 2024 | Ztrawberriez Auto | Best Sativa | Fast Buds |
| 2024 | Cali Bubba | Best Indica | Twenty20 |
| 2023 | Strawberry Gorilla Auto | Best Sativa | Fast Buds |
| 2023 | Banana Purple Punch Auto | Best Indica | Fast Buds |
Editions on record
- 2023 · Green Street, Los Angeles
- 2024 · West Hollywood’s BeTrue Event Center on Sunset Blvd
- 2025 · Los Angeles
- 2026 · Be True Los Angeles
Sources
- How the American Autoflower Cup Is Changing Private Cannabis Cultivation (The Source)
- Inside the American Autoflower Cup 2026: Where Autoflowers Set the Pace (Ganjapreneur)
Written from the sources above and checked on 2026-10-29. Spot an error? Tell us on the contact page.