27 September 2021
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Royal Mail has announced details of the 120 regional finalists in its Heroes of the Pandemic stamp design competition, after receiving a remarkable 606,049 entries.
Royal Mail recently challenged young people to design a stamp highlighting the amazing work played by key workers and others in keeping the UK connected during these unprecedented times, and the 120 regional finalists, who will each receive £100 in gift vouchers and £100 for their school, have now been revealed.
Record-breaking competition
A staggering 606,049 entries were submitted from 7,479 schools, helping Royal Mail to secure the Guinness World Records title for Largest postage stamp design competition.
The previous highest number of entries received for a stamp design competition was 239,374, achieved for Royal Mail’s Christmas Stamp Design Competition held in 2013.
Eight designs will be chosen as part of a special set of stamps due to be released next year. The set will mark only the sixth time in Royal Mail’s 500-year history that designs created by children been used on stamps (previously in 1966; 1981; 1992; 2013; and 2017).
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Competition impressed the PM
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“It is of great credit to the children of this country that in world record breaking numbers they picked up their paintbrushes, pens and paints and paid artistic tribute to the heroes of our coronavirus response.
“Their brilliant efforts represent the collective gratitude of the nation to everyone who went above and beyond during the pandemic.
“Congratulations to all those who have made it to the next round and thank you to everyone who has taken part and to the teams at Royal Mail for managing this record number of entries.”
Simon Thompson, Royal Mail CEO, said:
"We would like to thank all of the 606,049 children who submitted such brilliant designs to the competition. We have been amazed and impressed by the sheer volume of entries. And to have achieved a Guinness World Records title in the process shows how much the UK’s children value those heroes who have kept the nation moving during such a difficult period. To the 120 regional finalists - Well Done! We are really looking forward to seeing the winning eight designs!”
How the stamps will be chosen
To arrive at the 120 regional finalists, a network of judges, consisting of current and retired art teachers, evaluated each of the 606,049 entries. Over a three-month period, the best entries from Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England were chosen from each age group.
From the 120 regional finalists, a special panel of judges will now determine the winning 24 regional designs in November.
From these 24 entries, eight winning images will be chosen as official Royal Mail stamps. They will then appear on millions of items of mail across the UK when they are issued in the Spring of 2022.
The designs received celebrate a wide range of heroes, including:
- NHS workers
- mums
- dads
- carers
- refuse collectors
- cleaning staff
- teachers
- supermarket workers
- public transport staff
- delivery drivers
- postmen and postwomen
Also depicted on the designs were many volunteers who have helped in their local communities or raised money for charity, such as Captain Sir Tom Moore.
Full details can be found at www.royalmail.com/stampcompetition