The LOUIEs celebrate the art, editorial, and design of greeting cards and reinforce the relevance of creating, sending, and receiving greeting cards.
Officially known as the International Greeting Card Awards Competition, the LOUIEs are named after Louis Prang, the German-born Boston lithographer credited with the birth of the U.S. Christmas card in the 1870s. Launched by the Greeting Card Association in 1988, the prestigious LOUIE Awards recognize the most outstanding greeting cards, invitations and announcements marketed in the U.S. during the previous calendar year. The competition is open to all domestic and foreign publishers of greeting cards, invitations and/or announcements, and attracts hundreds of entries annually. The LOUIE Awards cycle begins this year on October 8 when the Call for Entries is issued, with a submission deadline of November 15. Submissions are blind-judged over a two-day period in late January by a panel of industry experts, on the criteria of originality, impact, design excellence, sendability and value. For complete details and a list of FAQ, visit www.greetingcard.org. The 25th Anniversary LOUIE Awards will feature a total of 28 categories – among them several new categories such as "Letterpress." Most categories will be divided into two price breaks: Above $3.50, and $3.50 or Less. A pdf of LOUIE "Official Competition Categories," including refined descriptions to facilitate the best placement for submissions, can be downloaded at www.greetingcard.org. Finalists in each category are announced in March, with winners revealed at the annual LOUIE Awards gala, held every May in New York City during the National Stationery Show. The ceremony culminates with two Cards of the Year – the most outstanding cards among all category winners in each of the two pricing classifications, as chosen by a blue-ribbon panel.