Mug Madness 2027
Get Ready to Vote!
Join us for our 8th annual Mug Madness tournament, where 64 mugs compete for a $500 top prize and the title of Mug Madness Champion!
Whether you enter your mug and fight for a team spot, or follow along on Instagram, this is your chance to be a part of our next-level mug championship. Read on for more information about Mug Madness!
Voting begins March 1st on Instagram stories @saltstoneceramics!
Entry TicketsWhat is Mug Madness?
Mug Madness is a single-elimination bracket-style tournament, where 64 mugs compete for the top prize and title of Mug Madness Champion. Entries are open to all, regardless of age, location, or skill level.
The tournament will begin on March 1st, 2027, with matches taking place every day on our Instagram and in our Instagram stories. Friends, family, and followers are encouraged to participate by voting for their favorite mug. The last mug standing at the end of the tournament wins the $500 top prize.
How to Enter
To enter your mug into the tournament, just purchase an entry ticket. Each entrant will be invited to submit a photo and information about their mug. Each entry is $10, with no limit to the number of submissions. So send one, send all!
Be sure to read the full tournament rules here. The open call for entries closes on December 13th, 2026.
How 64 Mugs are Chosen
After entries close, our incredible Team Captains, Aaron Raymond and Jennifer Fujimoto, will each choose 32 mugs out of the pool of submissions to be included on their team. In addition to being featured in the tournament, selected artists will be invited to send their mugs to Seattle, WA to be included in our Mug Madness gallery show. Each mug will be displayed at Saltstone Ceramics for the month of March and will be available for purchase. So keep an eye on your favorites!
How to Win
In each match, mugs are competing to win votes on Instagram. Matches will be posted to our Instagram stories, where followers will be able to vote for their favorite mug. To win, promote your mugs on IG and encourage your friends, family, and followers to participate! If your mug wins the match, you advance to the next round.
This year, we're shaking things up again! After implementing Wild Cards for 2 years, we're changing the bracket back to a true single-elimination competition without Wild Cards. However, along with vying for the Instagram vote, you'll also be vying for the Team Captain votes! Team Captain votes are worth 200 Instagram votes - a potential to change the match outcome but not a guarantee.
The last mug standing at the end of the tournament wins a $500 dollar grand prize and the title of Mug Madness Champion. The runner-up will win a $100 cash prize.
Do you have what it takes to be the next Mug Madness Champion? Enter your mugs today!
Entries close on December 13th, 2026.
Entry TicketsMEET THE TEAM CAPTAINS
Aaron Raymond
Aaron Raymond is a ceramic artist based in Nova Scotia, Canada. His work focuses on functional ware decorated with a variety of tile designs. After living in Lisbon, Portugal, for 2 years, the tile designs throughout the city were the initial inspiration for his work when he started his pottery journey in early 2024. With intricate tiling in old buildings and cities often being what catches our eye, he loves being able to add that to something you can use and feel with your daily routine.
"Mug Madness is my favorite time of year for pottery! It’s so cool to see such variety and incredible talent from artists from all over battle it out throughout March. With 2 of the last 3 winners not having a huge following count on Instagram, it really doesn’t matter how many followers you have to take home the win. All that matters is your unique mug and the great fans of Mug Madness to do their thing!"
Jennifer Fujimoto
Jennifer is an Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi-based artist who traded a career in design for a life in clay. Her work is inspired by Japanese folk art and textiles and often features simple forms, expressive faces, and bold, playful color. She loves making objects that bring a little joy and personality into everyday life.
"This is your chance to take a simple everyday object and make it your own. Push the form, play with the details, try something unexpected, and let your personality come through. Don’t worry about playing it safe. A great mug doesn’t have to play by the rules.
Let the madness begin!"
This year's logo/graphics designed by Sam Block of Sam Dodie Studio.