ATLANTA—The area rug industry’s most celebrated event honoring its most spectacular introductions reached a new level of entertainment and festivities during the annual celebration of The America’s Magnificent Carpets Awards (AMCA), noted Chas Sydney, senior vice president of area rugs, Americasmart, which hosts the event.
The evening, he said, “had an elaborate opening with Chinese dragons” thanks to The Peking Acrobats, China’s most gifted traditional Chinese acrobats and musicians, who headlined the festivities. Following the performance, area rug winners were announced by Sydney and Jeff Peterson, associate publisher of Architectural Digest, the event’s sponsor.
This year’s AMCAs featured 13 categories that once again separated rugs by price points, hand- or machine- made, antique and contemporary. Winners were chosen by an independent panel of industry-renowned judges. There was also a 14th category, the Buyer’s Choice Award, in which the winner was selected by attendees at the recent Atlanta International Area Rug market.
The 2010 AMCA winners:
- •Handmade $0 – $12 per square foot: Loloi
- •Handmade $12.01 – $23 per square foot: Neman
- •Handmade $23.01 – $35 per square foot: Authentic Looms
- •Handmade $35.01 – $46 per square foot: Amici
- •Handmade $46.01 – $56 per square foot: Kalaty
- •Handmade $56.01 – $65 per square foot: Shalom Brothers
- •Handmade $65.01 or more per square foot: Ariana
- •Power-loomed $0 – $200: Marcella Fine Rugs
- •Power-loomed $200.01 -$400: Couristan
- •Power-loomed $400.01 -$1000: Colonial Mills
- •Power-loomed $1000.01 or more: Nourison
- •Antique: Chaman
- •Contemporary: Renaissance
- •Buyer’s Choice: Capa Imports
Additionally, one area rug showroom on each of the four floors of the rug market was recognized for extraordinary visual merchandising innovations with the high profile Visual Display Award (VDA).
The 2010 VDA winners are:
- •Floor 3: Rizzy Rugs
- •Floor 4: Caravan Rugs
- •Floor 5: Chandra Rugs
- •Floor 6: Dayln
For more information on the rug market or the AMCAs, call 404.220.2384.