by Laura Berthold Monteros
The Tournament of Roses announced the winners of the 24 float awards for the 2019 Rose Parade to the media at shortly after 6:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. The chart of winners is below, but here are some observations before you peruse it.
Sweepstakes was won by The UPS Store, with a giant, toe-dancing ostrich. It brings the trophy back to Fiesta Parade Floats, after Paradiso Parade Floats took it home last year. It’s fitting that though Paradiso is no more, former owner Charles Meier was the designer for The UPS Store. His company was the first one in more than two decades to break Fiesta’s Sweepstakes streak with floats sponsored by Singpoli in 2016 and 2018.
Once again, Meier turned in a hundred-percent win percentage, with The UPS Store (Sweepstakes), Donate Life (Judges), and Easterseals (Leishman Public Spirit) floats. His designs were built by Fiesta Parade Floats.
Fitting also was the Theme award going to Shriners Hospitals for Children “Fezzy’s Garden of Hope and Healing.” Tournament Pres. Gerald Freeny chose the theme “The Melody of Life,” because through his health struggles and two transplants, music had brought him healing. That, and because his wife and daughter insisted on it.
A word on the International award: Readers may recall that The Rose Examiner has sometimes carped about this award, because there is usually only one float competing, China Airlines. This year, however, the float was so spectacular in design and entertainment, with dancers and drummers and brilliant florals, that is not only deserves the International award, but surely would have won an award in any case.
FTD is the official floral partner of the Tournament of Roses. The judges were Preston Bailey (who designed the new Royal Court float), Michael E. Berry, and Kimberly Oldis.
Here are the award totals: Fiesta Parade Floats, 9; Phoenix Decorating Company, 8; AES, 2; self-built, 5 (out of six organizations). The designer with the most wins was Michelle Lofthouse with 6 of 10 competing designs. Meier had the highest percentage.
For photos of all the award winning floats, see “Photos: 24 awards-winning floats in the 2019 Tournament of Roses Parade”
2019 FLOAT AWARDS PRESENTED BY FTD
| Award | Description | Participant | Theme | Builder |
| Sweepstakes | Most beautiful entry: encompassing float design, floral presentation and entertainment | The UPS Store, Inc. | Books Keep Us On Our Toes | Fiesta |
| Americana | Most outstanding depiction of national treasures and traditions | Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day | Garden Fresh | Phoenix |
| Animation | Most outstanding use of animation | Burbank Tournament of Roses Association | Stompin’ Good Time | Self-Built |
| Bob Hope Humor | Most whimsical and amusing float | Northwestern Mutual | Spend Your Life Living | Fiesta |
| Crown City Innovator | Most outstanding use of imagination, innovation and technology | Trader Joe’s Company | Ride Captain Ride | Phoenix |
| Director | Most outstanding artistic design and use of floral and non-floral materials |
Sierra Madre Rose Float Association | Harmony’s Garden | Self-Built |
| Extraordinaire | Most extraordinary float | Cal Poly Universities | Far Out Frequencies | Self-Built |
| Fantasy | Most outstanding display of fantasy and imagination | Western Asset Management Company | Yellow Submarine | Phoenix |
| Founder | Most outstanding float built and decorated by volunteers from a community or organization |
La Cañada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association |
Tree Frog Night! | Self-Built |
| Golden State | Most outstanding depiction of life in California | Big Bear Rose Parade Association | Play-Rest-Repeat | Fiesta |
| Grand Marshal | Most outstanding creative concept and float design | Stella Rosa Wines | Taste The Magic featuring Kool & The Gang |
Fiesta |
| International | Most outstanding float from outside the United States | China Airlines | Rhythm of Taiwan | AES |
| Isabella Coleman | Most outstanding presentation of color and color harmony through floral design |
United Sikh Mission | A Divine Melody Resonates In All |
Phoenix |
| Judges | Most outstanding float design and dramatic impact | Donate Life | Rhythm of the Heart | Fiesta |
| Leishman Public Spirit | Most outstanding floral presentation from a non-commercial participant |
Easterseals | Celebrating Easterseals 100 Years of Disability Services |
Fiesta |
| Mayor | Most outstanding float from a participating city | South Pasadena Tournament of Roses | Three Little Birds | Self-Built |
| Past President | Most outstanding innovation in the use of floral and non-floral materials | Underground Service Alert of Southern California (DigAlert) |
Backyard Harmony | Fiesta |
| President | Most outstanding use and presentation of flowers | City of Hope | Harmony of Hope | Phoenix |
| Princess | Most outstanding floral presentation among entries 35 feet and under in length |
City of Alhambra | Home Tweet Home | Phoenix |
| Queen | Most outstanding presentation of roses | Farmers Insurance Group | A Carousel of Experience | Phoenix |
| Showmanship | Most outstanding display of showmanship and entertainment | Universal Pictures & Dreamworks Animation presents How To Train Your Dragon | How to Train Your Dragon – The Hidden World | AES |
| Theme | Most outstanding presentation of the Rose Parade Theme | Shriners Hospitals for Children | Fezzy’s Garden of Hope and Healing |
Phoenix |
| Tournament Volunteer |
Most outstanding floral presentation of the Rose Parade Theme among floats 35 feet and under in length |
City of Torrance/ Torrance Rose Float Association |
The Power of Music | Fiesta |
| Wrigley Legacy | Most outstanding display of floral presentation, float design and entertainment |
Dole Packaged Foods | Rhythm of Paradise | Fiesta |