Call for Entries Information

Welcome to the Annual Louie Awards! Read below for the instructions on how to complete an online entry.

Have Questions? Watch a recording of our webinar where we covered topics such as entry process, categories, eligibility requirements, judging, mailing in your entries, and more on our Resource Center here.

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Process for Submitting a Card:

1. Determine Eligibility (scroll down to view)
2. Choose your category (view the full category list here)
3. Create an account on our award platform, Award Force 
   1. Need help navigating Award Force? Watch this video!
4. Log in and go to My Entries
5. Start a New Entry (entries will be open for submissions on September 25th)
6. Click Add to Cart
7. If you want to submit multiple entries, you can either duplicate a previous one or start a new entry.
8. Check out and pay for your entries
   • The deadline to enter is Friday, January 5, 2024
9. Mail in your physical samples for judging (view the guidelines here)
   • The deadline for cards to arrive at the GCA office is Friday, January 12, 2024, but the earlier the better!

Cost to Enter

Complimentary Entries for Diverse Makers

This year, GCA is dedicated to diversifying the Louie Awards and highlighting makers and companies from underrepresented communities in our industry. We are offering two free Louie entries to any maker who self-identifies as part of the following communities: Black, AAPI, LGBTQIA+, Indigenous, Latinx.

These free entries can ONLY be used for the following categories:

• Celebrating LGBTQIA+
• Celebrating Latinx Culture
• Celebrating Black Culture
• Celebrating AAPI Culture
• Celebrating Indigenous Culture

Once you fill out this form, you’ll receive an email within 1-2 business days with the discount code to use to submit your cards!

Eligibility/Entry Requirements:

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

• The card must have been marketed or sold in the U.S. between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2023.
  • This DOES NOT mean the card has to have been released in 2023. It just has to have been marketed or sold in 2023.
• The card must come from a run of 200 or more. For Invitations & Announcements, it must come from a run of 50 or more.
• No samples or prototypes may be submitted for judging.
• No cards that have been entered in previous years may be re-entered, except for cards submitted for Rising Star, Writer of the Year and Artist of the Year.
• If you are submitting for a category that is $5.50 and Below, the card must retail for a cost at or below $5.50
• You may enter as many cards as you’d like into a single category.
• You may NOT enter the same card in multiple categories.
  • The exceptions to this rule are Rising Star, Writer of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Letterpress categories because these recognize companies instead of a single card.

CATEGORY REQUIREMENTS:

• For a category to be judged, there must be a minimum of seven total entries from at least four different companies. If the minimum is not met, entries will be combined with alternate price point of same category where possible*. At the discretion of the committee and based on the number of cards in a category, your card may be moved or combined with another category. If this occurs, you will be notified.
• If the above criteria are not met, applicants may move their card(s) to a different category if applicable or will be refunded entry fees.

RISING STAR REQUIREMENTS:

• The company must be in business for three years or less.
• The company must have sold their first official card on or after January 1, 2021, to be eligible.
• Entrants must submit five cards so that judges can evaluate the collection as a whole.

BIRTHDAY – SMALL COMPANY CATEGORY REQUIREMENTS:

• The company must have five or fewer full-time employees.
• Must be a birthday card.