NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Greeting Card Association (GCA) announced the winners of its 27th International Greeting Card Awards Competition, the “LOUIE Awards” at a gala event during the National Stationery Show® (NSS) here last night.
Among the winners in the 59 categories, including the new LGBTQ category, top honors for “Cards of the Year” went to Sunrise (in the $4 and below category) and Ladyfingers Letterpress (in the $4 and above category).
“The quality, artistry, and ingenuity of this year’s LOUIE Award winners lived up to our theme, ‘The Roaring LOUIE’s,’ and demonstrates the vibrancy of the $8 billion greeting card and social expression industry,” said 27th LOUIE Awards Chair Tina Benavides and vice president, Core Cards, Creative Division, American Greetings. “There’s simply no substitute for a paper card, one that you can hold in your hand or display at your home or office,” she said.
More than 200 companies throughout the world submitted 1,100 entries for the GCA’s LOUIE Awards, the definitive competition for the greeting card and social expression industry. All entries were marketed and sold in the U.S. in 2014; winners and finalists are on display through May 20, in the Crystal Palace at the Jacob Javits Center.
Launched in 1988, as the International Greeting Card Awards, the “LOUIEs” are named after Louis Prang, the German-born Boston lithographer and publisher, who often is referred to as the “Father of the American Christmas Card.” A Blue Ribbon Panel of six judges selected two “Cards of the Year” from among all categories. A panel of industry experts judged all entries against five criteria: originality, impact, design excellence, “sendability,” and value; all identifying information about the submitting company was withdrawn from the entries.
The LOUIEs celebrate the art, editorial, and design of greeting cards, invitations, and announcements and reinforce the relevance of sending and receiving them in today’s digital world. Americans buy 6.5 billion greeting cards each year and consumers can vote on their favorites by “liking” them during the Consumer’s Choice competition at www.facebook.com/LOUIEAwards until June 1; winners will be announced in June.
Sponsors of this year’s LOUIE Awards include: American Greetings, Designer Greetings, Hallmark, NSS, Universal Presentation Concepts, Avanti, Neenah, Bobst and Madison Park Group. Several companies provided in-kind donations such as materials for the LOUIE Awards call for entries, invitations, gala décor and other items. Thanks to in-kind supporters including the following companies: American Greetings, Appleton Coated, BrightMARKS, Exclusive Bordering, Fine Impressions, Infinity Foils, J.S. McCarthy Printers, Leader Paper Products, Neenah Paper, Universal Engraving, Inc., and Universal Presentation Concepts.
The Greeting Card Association is the U.S. trade association serving the greeting card and social expression industry. Founded in 1941, the GCA represents nearly 200 American and international publishers from businesses ranging from start-ups to established companies of all sizes, scopes and industry tenure -- as well as suppliers that provide production services and wholesale product distribution. All LOUIE winners can be viewed on the GCA website at www.greetingcard.org or visit https://instagram.com/louieawards/.
Listed below, by category and price point, are the 27th LOUIE Award Winners:
| Category | Price Point | Company Winner | ||
| Birthday (General) | $4.00 and Below | Sunrise | ||
| Birthday (General) | Above $4.00 | Good Paper | ||
| Birthday (Humorous) | $4.00 and Below | Design Design, Inc. | ||
| Birthday (Humorous) | Above $4.00 | Paper Bandit Press | ||
| Blank Card | $4.00 and Below | Sunrise | ||
| Blank Card | Above $4.00 | Quilling Card | ||
| Children’s Card | $4.00 and Below | Madison Park Greetings | ||
| Children’s Card | Above $4.00 | Hallmark Cards | ||
| Congratulations/Special Occasion | $4.00 and Below | Sunrise | ||
| Congratulations/Special Occasion | Above $4.00 | Ladyfingers Letterpress | ||
| Friendship/Encouragement (General) | $4.00 and Below | Easy, Tiger | ||
| Friendship/Encouragement (General) | Above $4.00 | Elum | ||
| Friendship/Encouragement (Humorous) | $4.00 and Below | Compendium | ||
| Friendship/Encouragement (Humorous) | Above $4.00 | Elum | ||
| Get Well/Feel Better | $4.00 and Below | American Greetings | ||
| Get Well/Feel Better | Above $4.00 | Paper Pop Cards | ||
| LGBTQ | $4.00 and Below | Great Arrow Graphics | ||
| LGBTQ | Above $4.00 | Ladyfingers Letterpress | ||
| Romantic Occasions | $4.00 and Below | PaperFreckles | ||
| Romantic Occasions | Above $4.00 | laLa Grace | ||
| Sympathy | $4.00 and Below | Hallmark Cards | ||
| Sympathy | Above $4.00 | Above $4.00 | Anemone Letterpress | ||
| Thank You | $4.00 and Below | $4.00 and Below | Hallmark Cards | ||
| Thank You | Above $4.00 | Above $4.00 | Good Paper | ||
| Christmas/Seasonal (General) | $4.00 and Below | Gift Card Impressions, LLC | ||
| Christmas/Seasonal (General) | Above $4.00 | Paper Pop Cards | ||
| Christmas/Seasonal (Humorous) | $4.00 and Below | Hallmark Cards | ||
| Christmas/Seasonal (Humorous) | Above $4.00 | Read Between The Lines | ||
| Father's Day | $4.00 and Below | Maginating | ||
| Father's Day | Above $4.00 | Emily McDowell Studio | ||
| Halloween | $4.00 and Below | Sunrise | ||
| Halloween | Above $4.00 | Avanti Press, Inc. | ||
| Mother's Day | $4.00 and Below | Madison Park Greetings | ||
| Mother's Day | Above $4.00 | Emily McDowell Studio | ||
| Religious Celebrations | $4.00 and Below | Great Arrow Graphics | ||
| Religious Celebrations | Above $4.00 | Ladyfingers Letterpress | ||
| Valentine's Day | $4.00 and Below | Sunrise | ||
| Valentine's Day | Above $4.00 | Emily McDowell Studio | ||
| Christmas/Seasonal (Boxed Set) | $2.00 and Below | Hallmark Cards | ||
| Christmas/Seasonal (Boxed Set) | Above $2.00 | Mary Beth Cryan | ||
| Everyday Boxed Set | $2.50 and Below | Galison | ||
| Everyday Boxed Set | Above $2.50 | Moglea | ||
| Letterpress | Ladyfingers Letterpress | |||
| Most Humorous | Hallmark Cards | |||
| Print and Production Excellence | Ladyfingers Letterpress | |||
| Rising Star | $4.00 and Below | Easy, Tiger | ||
| Rising Star | Above $4.00 | Paper Bandit Press | ||
| Superbly Stated | Sunrise | |||
| Announcements and Photo Cards | $4.00 and Below | Pear Tree Greetings | ||
| Announcements and Photo Cards | Above $4.00 | Shindig Bespoke | ||
| Baby | $4.00 and Below | Avanti Press, Inc. | ||
| Baby | Above $4.00 | Paula & Waffle | ||
| General Invitations | $4.00 and Below | Noteworthy Paper & Press | ||
| General Invitations | Above $4.00 | Noteworthy Paper & Press | ||
| Deluxe Wedding Invitation Suite | Classic Printed | Minted | ||
| Deluxe Wedding Invitation Suite | Modern Printed | Suite Paperie, Inc. | ||
| Standard Wedding Invitation Suite | Classic Printed | Bella Figura | ||
| Standard Wedding Invitation Suite | Modern Printed | Suite Paperie, Inc. | ||
| Card of the Year $4.00 and Below | Sunrise | |||
| Card of the Year Above $4 | Ladyfingers Letterpress |
