Deadline for entries extended to Tuesday lunchtime – but don’t miss out!
There’s no time to waste if you’re a publisher who hasn’t entered The Henries Awards 2024 yet but, following pleas for a bit of leeway, the deadline has been extended by a couple of days, meaning you now have until Tuesday, June 18, at 1pm to enter.
But why not go straight to the website now, do not pass go, do not collect £200 – just get on there to be in with a chance of winning one of the Oscars of the greeting card world!
Open to all publishers and UK distributors, large, small, well-established or completely brand new, it’s about card ranges launched in the preceding year, since 15 June, 2023, or new designs to an existing range – and it’s completely free to enter to there’s nothing stopping you.
The full list of categories, sponsors, and entry criteria can be found on the website, where a new account needs to be made for this year’s entries and nominations.
There have some glitches with The Henries website this year – especially with some of the web browsers, particularly Safari, but Chrome works well. In case you have any problems, PG’s Carly Willis is on hand to help, email her on carlyw@max-publishing.co.uk.
“We love to hear from as many publishers as possible, and see all the fabulous ranges and ideas, many of which were on show at PG Live just last week,” said Jakki Brown, managing director of Max Publishing, which owns and organises the awards.
“Visitors to the show were amazed at the breadth of designs and they all deserve to be recognised with a Henries entry, everyone is in with a chance of winning and they all get seen by the incredible retailers who make up both the online and in-person judging panels.”
As for the past two years there will be a two-stage judging process for the main product categories – Best Diversity & Inclusion Range; Best Humorous Range; Best Licensed Entertainment Or Character Brand Range; Best Licensed Heritage, Lifestyle, Art Or Design Brand Range; Best Christmas Counter Range; Best Christmas Box Or Pack Collection; Best Cute Range; Best Contemporary Words & Sentiments Range; Best Traditional Words & Sentiments Range; Best Art Range; Best Photographic Range; Best Children’s Range; Best Contemporary Trend Range; Best 3D, Pop-Up, Hand-finished Or Handmade Range; Best Male Range; Best Relations &/Or Occasions Range; Best Spring Seasons Range; Best Wholesale Range; Best Giftwrappings Range; and The Henry Cole Classic Award.
Entries for the Best Spring Seasons Range category should be event-specific, submit a separate entry for Valentine’s Day, a separate entry for Mother’s Day, etc.
For all product categories, submissions should be for card ranges that have been launched at retail between 15 June, 2023, and 14 June, 2024, or for new designs to an existing range launched within that period.
And, of course, there’s the coveted Henry Cole Classic Award, open to all greeting card ranges that have stood the test of time, having been published for at least the past eight years, and still for sale.
The Lynn Tait Best Young Designer Or Artist category, sponsored by Postmark, will only be judged physically, with all designers and artists encouraged to submit their entry boards showing their creative prowess and inspirations by the later closing date of Thursday, 25 July. The boards should be sent to The Henries, Max Publishing, United House, North Road, London, N7 9DP.
With retailers being a major element in the process of getting the card from the drawing board to the mantlepiece, how they are treated by publishers is so important, making the Best Service To The Independent Retailer, which is sponsored by buying group Cardgains, one of the most highly-prized awards.
This award has three winners – gold, silver and bronze – and Jakki added: “Nominations are being invited from indie retailers to tell us which card publishers and giftwrap suppliers you feel have excelled on the service front in the past year.”
There’s also the Honorary Achievement Award, presented each year to an individual in recognition of the contribution they have made to the greeting card industry. Nominees can come from any aspect of the industry – retailer, publisher, designer or supplier – and all nominations will be treated in the strictest of confidence. The deadline for Service and Achievement nominations is also Thursday, 25 July, 2024.
The initial judging stage will take place entirely online through the www.thehenriesawards.co.uk website, thanks to an extensive panel of retail buyers who will be invited to judge at least six categories each.
As a result of the judges’ online votes, a shortlist of contenders will be drawn up and announced in mid-July to go forward to the live judging round, again judged entirely by retailers, where publishers will be asked to supply physical card samples to be put on display at special session at the end of July for the panel to examine in person where their votes are counted to decide the finalists and winner in all product categories.
There’s a full roster of generous sponsors, without whom The Henries Awards would not be such a fabulous event for the industry, this year’s list includes Alpha Colour Printers, Autumn Fair, Cardgains, Cardfactory, Designer Greetings, EBB Paper, Fedrigoni UK, Fujifilm, G.F Smith, Gould Paper Sales, Graphite Creative, The Imaging Centre, Loxleys, PG Live, Postmark, Scribbler, Sherwood Group, Skylight Media, Spring Fair/Autumn Fair, UK Envelope Centre and Windles Group.
Taking place at The Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on Thursday, 3 October, 2024, The Henries 2024 awards will be an all-singing all-dancing event, with a colourful and vibrant ancient Rome theme! To book tickets for the champagne drinks reception, sumptuous three-course meal, celebrity host, awards ceremony and after-party fun, click here.
