Do you make the perfect pie? The International Pizza Challenge is calling on members of the pizza industry to compete for the title of World Champion Pizza Maker 2025.

The IPC, first held in 2007, will take place March 25-27 at the Las Vegas Convention Center during International Pizza Expo.

Tony Cerimele, the 2024 World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year, told Pizza Today, “There was so much energy in that area, it was palpable the entire Expo.” Cerimele, owner of New Columbus Pizza Co. in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania, won the Pan Division Title, one of five categories in the International Pizza Challenge:

• World’s Best Cheese Slice
• Non-Traditional Division
• Traditional (American) Division
• Neapolitan Division
• Pan Division

In addition to a trophy and $10,000 prize ($5,000 for winning the Pan Division and $5,000 for Pizza Maker of the Year), Cerimele told Pizza Today he was proud to claim the top honor for his family and his hometown.

“The most import thing for me after winning is the fact that my daughters witnessed firsthand that hard work and determination really do pay off in the end,” he says.

How to apply

Pizzeria employees ages 18 or older are eligible to compete in the International Pizza Challenge (IPC), as are pizza industry consultants, social media influencers and producers of pop-up pizza events.

IPC registration is currently open at PizzaExpo.com, and competitors can register for individual IPC divisions until the maximum number of entries has been met for each competition.

Pizza makers who won first place at the International Pizza Challenge are not eligible to compete in the same division for two years  after their winning entry.

Past winners of the World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year are invited to compete for the Best of the Best award but cannot enter the division challenges.

Joe Carlucci, owner of Valentina’s Pizzeria and Wine Bar in Madison, Alabama, won the 2024 Best of the Best award after being named World Champion Pizza Maker of the Year in 2023. He told Pizza Today that he’s always admired the chefs listed on the Best of the Best trophy while attending the International Pizza Expo.

“For me to now be one of the names on those trophies is a dream come true,” he says.

After 25 years of perfecting his skills in the kitchen, Carlucci says he lucked out on competition day: “My dough was the best I have ever made.” His winning pizza featured pork belly, red onion and pineapple.

How to compete

Competitors must be registered Pizza Expo attendees and bring their own dough, pizza sauce, cheese and pizza toppings (number of toppings allowed varies by category, see details below). Registered participants should be prepared to make up to three pizzas if they advance to the Pizza Maker of the Year competition, and bringing extra dough is recommended.

IPC competitors receive information about the pizza ovens, food storage and the food-prep tools that will be provided onsite. Participants who plan to use specialty items to complete their entries are encouraged to bring them to the event.

For example, Cerimele’s winning entry – a Sicilian crust pizza with whole-milk mozzarella –featured pepperoni jam and was finished with whipped ricotta.

Competitors in the International Pizza Challenge will have 30 minutes to assemble and bake their pizzas and clean up the assembly space. Registered competitors will have access to food-prep areas ahead of the competition, so they’ll be ready to start making their pizzas as soon as the 30-minute competition period begins.

Restaurants can register one competitor per division, and competitors cannot compete in multiple divisions. Only contestants for the division in progress will be allowed in the baking area (no assistants).

What to know about IPC divisions

World’s Best Cheese Slice

This division is open to all crust styles; par-baking crust is not permitted. Participants should bring their own dough, red tomato sauce, cheese and spices. Competitors may add a drizzle of olive oil after baking; nothing more (no fresh basil, grated cheese or other herbs and spices) can be added once the pizza is in the oven. Competitors will present their top three slices to IPC judges.

Non-Traditional Division

Participants should bring their own dough, sauce and toppings. There are no restrictions on what can be included on your pizza entry in this category!

Traditional (American) Division

Competitors should bring their own dough, sauce, cheese and toppings, which can include no more than two of the following:

• Pepperoni
• Sausage
• Bacon
• Ham
• Mushrooms
• Peppers
• Tomatoes
• Onions
• Olives

Pizzas with more than two toppings – or toppings other than those listed – will be disqualified from the division competition.

Par-baking crust is not permitted in the Traditional (American) Division, which is restricted to round pizzas between 12 inches and 18 inches. As with the World’s Best Cheese Slice division, no finishing items aside from a drizzle of olive oil can be added once the pizza enters the oven (no additional grated cheese, herbs or spices).

Neapolitan Division

Competitors should bring their own dough made with Type 0 or 00 wheat flour, sauce, cheese and toppings.

Dough should be hand-kneaded or made with a low-speed mixer; enhancers such as meat tenderizer and malt cannot be used. Dough balls should weigh 250-280 grams, and crust must be formed by hand (no rolling pins allowed).

Official variants for the Neapolitan Division – and permitted ingredients – include:

Marinara

Crushed plum tomatoes, salt, fresh garlic, oregano and olive oil must be added before baking.

Margherita Extra

Crushed plum tomatoes, chopped cherry tomatoes, mozzarella di buffala, grated cheese, olive oil and fresh basil must be added before baking.

Margherita

Crushed plum tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, grated cheese, olive oil and fresh basil must be added before baking.

Pizzas should be no more than 3 millimeters thick and at least 10 inches in diameter. Pizzas must be baked for 45-90 seconds in a 905 F pizza oven.

Pan Division

Roman, Chicago deep dish/stuffed, Detroit, Grandma/Sicilian, Cast-iron, Ohio Valley and Old Forge pizza styles fall into this category, which has no restrictions on dough, sauce or toppings.

Participants should bring their own sauce, cheese and toppings and dough, which can be par-baked in advance; this will not count against the 30-minute competition time.

The challenger who makes the top-scoring Detroit-style pizza will be honored with the Shawn Randazzo Memorial Award.

International Pizza Challenge schedule

In addition to the five divisions above, up to 10 competitors can participate in the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) contest, which highlights pizzas made with California cow’s milk.

The full schedule for the International Pizza Challenge is below. Each division has a limited number of spots, so sign up when you complete your Pizza Expo registration at pizzatoday.com.

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