Preferred Gardens Takes Rookie of the Year at The Billy Awards in NYC 2025
With 4/20 in full swing, New York has become the epicenter of celebration—where the culture, community, and competition collide. This year, the iconic Billy Awards went down at the legendary Astor Club, hosted with support from Mills and Archive, drawing the best of the best from around the cannabis world. While many came to light up and vibe out in the park, the real heat was happening behind the scenes, where cultivators battled it out to prove who really grows the finest flower.
The categories? Straight fire: Gas, Sweets, Sativa, and the all-new Rookie of the Year category—personally introduced by Ted of Alien Labs, giving fresh heat a chance to shine. The judges’ panel was nothing short of iconic, featuring tastemakers like Proper Doinks, Good Pizza, and Malique, ensuring every entry was put under a true connoisseur's lens.
Each category winner walked away with the ultimate flex: a $10,000 solid gold custom Goat Ring, featuring two emeralds—a serious prize for some seriously elite flower.
Preferred Gardens made major waves, taking 1st Place in the Rookie of the Year category with their new heater D-Lish (Sweet Retreat x Z), bred by the one and only Fiya Farmer. But they didn’t stop there—they also snagged 2nd Place Sweets for their latest drop Bubble Gun (Lazergun x Zoap) and 5th Place Sweets with their Lemon Gun (Lazer Gun x Lemon Tree) , competing against a stacked lineup of over 80 entries. Big wins like this don’t go unnoticed, and it’s another notch on Preferred’s belt as they gear up to drop both of these award-winning strains for the public.
With a fresh new indoor line and updated packaging on the way, fans won’t have to wait long to see why the judges couldn’t get enough. Every new drop in NY has been selling out within a week. Keep your eyes peeled for the official release—because experiencing these flavors firsthand is the only way to really understand the hype.
Congrats to all the 2025 Billy Awards winners:
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Gas Category: Dirt – Jeu Dirt
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Sativa Category: Grapefruit Haze – High Road
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Rookie of the Year: D-Lish – Preferred Gardens
Another dub for the culture. Another dub for Preferred. Stay tuned.
Written By Michael Cabrera