Junior Design Awards 2021 Launch Today!

The Junior Design Awards 2021 are HERE!!

A warm welcome to our annual Junior Design Awards programme. Often referred to as the #JDA’s, these awards continue to be the most esteemed accolade in the UK children’s lifestyle awards arena, recognised by brands, clients and consumers alike.

And, what's more, this year marks the 10th year of the original Junior Design Awards. Yes, launched back in 2011 ( by then editor Catherine O'Dolan), our awards continue to fly the flag for children's designers, brands and retailers a decade later. To celebrate, we will be announcing a special Editors Choice award for a 'Decade of Design'- and we can't wait for you to join the celebrations. More to be announced soon...

We know winning a #JDA is a highly sought after endorsement for a brand and we also know that our awards are a trusted and highly regarded seal-of-style for our readers and consumers who know that any product or brand bearing a #JDA disc is truly loved by all of us at Junior and our esteemed panel of judges (to be announced very soon…)

Here’s the 2021 Junior Design Awards low-down…

What’s new for 2021 and a reflection on 2020

Your support for the 2020 Junior Design Awards was incredible and, yes, during a pandemic we managed to pull off one of our most successful years ever! We had a record number of entrants, gave out a whopping 300+ awards and found so many new, exciting and gorgeous brands as well as donating a percentage of the profits to the NHS. We know that this year's awards can only build on the success of 2020, which showed us just how much the Junior Design Awards mean to everyone and how important it is to recognise and reward the incredible hard work and talent in this industry.

Last year we updated and reinvigorated our existing awards so that they not only reward and acknowledge the very best in design products on the market for parents, parents-to-be and children but reflect the varying nature of modern family life.

This year we have 71 awards up for grabs across 7 categories and it is going to be so exciting to see who emerges as the best-of-the-best this year. You can take a peek at all of the Junior Design Awards 2021 awards categories here.

We've also taken a close look at our entry forms and have revised some of the wording on the awards site to make entering easier and smoother than ever. Do also read this article from our Editor with tips, tricks and insider knowledge on how to best enter the awards. You can visit the Junior Design Awards dedicated site HERE.

We will also be giving out our Editor’s Choice Award this year – but with a twist. To mark and celebrate our 10th Anniversary, we will be honouring 10 designers, brands or retailers with a JDA 'Decade of Design' special recognition award. This will see the Junior editorial team pick 10 exceptionally designed brands or products of the year. These will be revealed along with the winners and runners-up from the 7 categories.

The inspiration behind the Junior Design Awards 2021…

It always starts with the logo. Although the design and branding hasn’t changed over the years – this is to keep it instantly recognisable – the colour does.

We are always influenced by current trends but are also aware that we have an illustrious body of work in our Junior archive, so merging the two is what we always aim to do. This year we took inspiration from the Junior Design Awards editorial shoot that appeared in the July 2013 issue. This was the final ever printed issue of Junior and the team went out with a bang! So, in our 10th Anniversary year it felt fitting to use this Pop Art inspired shoot for our 2021 marketing.

Shot by children's Fashion Photographer & Director Joanna Paterson, with set design by Katie Fotis and direction by Junior founder Linda McLean this striking retro Pop Art Junior Design Awards issue showcased the awards in all it's colourful glory.

You can see the original cover image and a selection of the editorial from the July 2013 below.