Royal Mail Christmas Stamp Competition closes with almost 240,000 entries from children across the UK

Associated media

Almost 240,000 entries have been submitted to Royal Mail’s ‘Design A Christmas Stamp’ competition. Only twice before have children’s designs been used on Christmas stamps; 1966, the year the first Christmas stamps were issued in the UK, and 1981.

A record 46,000 entries were received in a single day and Royal Mail extended the deadline for entries by a week owing to the overwhelming number received. In the next step, judging panels across the country will select 120 area finalists from 12 regions across the UK

Two area winners will be chosen from each region, with 24 winners going into the grand final.Two overall winners will then see their design feature on this year’s First or Second Class Christmas stamp. As with all Special Stamps issued by Royal Mail, both winning designs will have to be approved by The Queen.

Children aged 4 to 11 years old have been drawing, painting, colouring and crayoning in response to the question: ‘What Christmas means to you?’, and all the entries now received are in the running to have their design feature on this year’s First or Second Class Christmas Stamp.

As readers of Cassone will know from our June Art News, the two winners will follow in the footsteps of highly acclaimed children’s’ designers and illustrators who have designed Christmas Stamps in the past, such as Axel Scheffler (2012), Nick Park (2010), Quentin Blake (1993) and Michael Foreman (1987).

The winners of the competition will be announced in the autumn and the stamps will be available to buy from 5 November  2013.

Royal Mail will select 120 area winners from 12 regions across the UK. Two area winners will be chosen from each region, with 24 winners going into the grand final. Two overall winners will then see their design feature on this year’s First or Second Class Christmas stamp. There are cash prizes for both children and their schools.