The UK leads the world in greeting cards, both in design and per capita send – The Henries awards celebrate this pre-eminence.
Named after Sir Henry Cole (who introduced the first commercially produced Christmas card in 1843), The Henries were introduced by Progressive Greetings Worldwide magazine in 1996 as annual awards to shine the spotlight on greeting card ranges.
The Henries Awards are the ultimate accolades in greeting card publishing, and each year some 14,000 cards are entered! The Henries award categories span the whole gamut of greeting card publishing, from humour to cute, art to handmade and everything in between.
The majority of the awards categories are for card ranges that have either been launched in the preceding year or for new designs to an existing range. The Henries awards are open to all publishers (or UK distributors), from the largest multi-national to the smallest one-man band. Entry is totally free of charge. The deadline for entry is 28 July 2020.
All entries are judged by an extensive panel comprising top retail buyers from right across the retail spectrum including specialist multiples, design-led independents, small groups, department store selectors, supermarket buyers etc.
The Henries winners are unveiled at THE big night in the greeting card industry calendar attended by 700 people from all walks of the card trade, including a myriad of publishers, retailers, artists, overseas distributors, and suppliers.
This year, in light of the logistical and safety concerns brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, we have quickly and passionately invested in this new awards entry portal which means that all entries and judging will take place online.
Despite the challenges we are all currently facing, the greeting card sector remains both resilient and inspirational, with greeting cards really coming to the fore as an invaluable and aesthetic tangible means of social communication. The development in The Henries’ entry and judging process for 2020 ensures that recognition can still be awarded to publishers for their ranges, having been judged by an expansive panel of retailers. It means true talent in this glorious industry will be properly rewarded.
