About
Annual LOUIE Awards
Celebrating the art, editorial, and design of greeting cards and invitations
Excitement. Joy. Comfort. Love.
These four emotions are only a few of the many feelings that one may experience when receiving and sending a greeting card and/or invitation commemorating the many moments we experience in our lifetime.
Brought to you by the Greeting Card Association, the LOUIE Awards recognize, reward, and celebrate that moment when art, editorial, and design perfectly coalesce to bring these emotions to life and memorialize the numerous milestones in our lives.
Annual LOUIE Awards
Celebrating the art, editorial, and design of greeting cards and invitations
The LOUIE Awards recognize, reward, and celebrate the moment when art, editorial, and design perfectly coalesce to evoke emotions and memorialize life’s occasions.
Early Bird Deadline
Regular Submission Deadline
CALL FOR ENTRIES CLOSES
Card Samples Due at GCA Headquarters
Judging
Finalists are Announced
Annual LOUIE Celebration
CONSUMER’S CHOICE AWARD CONTEST
The LOUIE Awards judges are as much part of the LOUIEs as the companies competing and the cards and invitations being submitted. The panel consists of industry experts which include publishers, suppliers, media, buyers, and others active within the industry. LOUIE Award Judges will be announced in October. Stay tuned to find out!
Judging Process and Criteria
The LOUIE Awards judging process consists of two rounds of judging during an intensive two-day period. In this first round, judges are split into two groups. Each group is responsible for judging half of the 1,000 plus entries. The top five scoring cards in each category are then moved into the second round of judging. During the second round of judging, all judges re-score and rank the top five cards.
In each judging round, the cards are evaluated based on five criteria:
- Originality | Does this card take a unique approach to design, concept, or execution?
- Impact | Does this card have emotional impact?
- Design Excellence | Is the overall look of this card visually appealing? Did the designer make good choices in typography and artwork arrangement?
- Sendability | Is this card likely to be purchased and sent for the occasion or purpose specified by the category? Are its format and design functional?
- Value | Is this card priced appropriately based on the overall quality of the product?
The cards are judged on a scale of one to ten. Point range is as follows:
- 1-3 | Below Standard
- 4-6 | Meet Standard
- 7-8 | Exceeds Standard
- 9-10 | Extraordinary
Based on the numerical scores, three finalists will emerge in each category, with one earning the coveted LOUIE Award. Finalists will be announced in mid-February, after which all entrants will be able to access their scores and narrative feedback via their online entry portal.
A Blue Ribbon Panel of five select judges will choose two Cards of the Year from among the category winners in each price break. Winners will be announced at the Annual LOUIE Awards celebration.