PIPEX 2026 Palmares

WSP Show – May 1-3, 2026

TONY WAWRUKIEWICZ GRAND AWARD
Vesma Grinfelds – Cancellations of the Provisional Era in Latvia: 1919-1921

RESERVE GRAND AWARD
Semyon Melamed - DELAG – The World’s First Airline: Development of Airmail Service 1910-1919

SINGLE FRAME GRAND AWARD
Lloyd Ferrell – The Battleship Oregon (1893-1919); “Bulldog of the Navy”

People’s Choice Award
Eric R. Knapp – The Raven Story Stamp of 2021

George Struble Innovation Award
Ralph Nafziger – A Soldier’s Diary – The World War I North Russia Expedition

Larry Spray Encouragement Award
Tim Bergquist – My U.S. ATA One-Page Exhibits

MULTI-FRAME EXHIBITS
Large Gold
Vesma Grinfelds – Cancellations of the Provisional Era in Latvia: 1919-1921 (95 pts)
Semyon Melamed - DELAG – The World’s First Airline: Development of Airmail Service 1910-1919 (95 pts)
Lloyd Ferrell – Transition to War: Pearl Harbor Ships before and after December 7, 1941 (93 pts)

Also, American Philatelic Society - Award of Excellence: 1940-1980;
United States Stamp Society - Statute of Freedom Award
Louis Fiset – The Uprooting of British Columbia’s Japanese Canadians, 1942-1949 (92 pts)

Also, American Philatelic Congress – Congress Award
Lloyd Ferrell – Little Known Pearl Harbor Ships: without Postal Facilities (91 pts)

Also, American Philatelic Society - Research Award
Mark Loomis – WWII Civil Censor Marks of Southern Rhodesia (91 pts)

Michael Bloom – Essays and Proofs of Guatemala (90 pts)

Gold

Louis Fiset – UK Internment of Resident Refugees Fleeing the Third Reich (1940-1942) (89 pts)

Michael Bloom – Guatemala’s Master Designer/Engraver: Arnoldo Chavarry Arrue (88 pts)

Norma Nielson – A Study of the U.N. Chagall Window Minisheet (87 pts)

James Ong – From Sea to Air: Postal Disruption and Route Reconfiguration in Formosa, 1945-1949 (87 pts)

Also, American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors – Novice Award

David Jay – Mail Service in Rural Russia: Volostnoe Pravlenie Offices, 1845-1928 (87 pts)

Louis Fiset – French Interzone and Free Zone Mail during the German Occupation (1940-1943) (86 pts)

David Jay – How Russia Delivered the Mail: Auxiliary Offices and the Police Post, 1889 to 1918 (86 pts)
Large Vermeil
Ross Marshall – Hungary 1918-1921 Armistice to Treaty of Trianon (78 pts)

Gerald E. Smith – Railway Post Offices (R.P.O.) on Streetcars (76 pts)

Norma Nielson – Fabergé’s Imperial Easter Eggs; Extravagance and Intrigue (76 pts)

Also, American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors – Gold Award of Honor; American Topical Association -1st Award

Large Silver

Donald Blais – Bridges Over the Ages; From Ancient to Modern Times (73 pts)

Also, American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors – Gold Award of Honor;
American Topical Association -2nd Award;
Northwest Federation of Stamp Clubs - Thunderbird Award

Cathie Osborne – A Town Called Bell (73 pts)

Also, American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors – Benninghoff Award
Eric R. Knapp – The Raven Story Stamp of 2021 (70 pts)

Also, American Philatelic Society - Award of Excellence: Post 1980

SINGLE FRAME EXHIBITS
Large Gold
Lloyd Ferrell – The Battleship Oregon (1893-1919); “Bulldog of the Navy” (92 pts)

Vesma Grinfelds – Latvia: The Rising Sum Stamp of 1919 (92 pts)

Also, American Philatelic Society - Award of Excellence: 1900-1940

Yuxiang Jiang – China Express Letter Stamp (1912-1914) (91 pts)

David Jay – St. Petersburg Registered Mail with Geometric Postmarks, 1881-1904 (91 pts)

Also, American Philatelic Society - Award of Excellence: Pre-1900;
Rossica Society - Award
Gold
David Jay – The Tsars’ Post Offices, 1852-1917 (86 pts)

George Struble – 1920 Ill-fated Airmail Service Frankfurt – Basel (85 pts)

Louis Fiset – Lone Wolf Mail: Lesser Known US World War II Postal History (85 pts)

Large Vermeil
Ralph Nafziger – A Soldier’s Diary – The World War I North Russia Expedition (83 pts)

Also, American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors – Creativity Award
Vermeil
Ralph Nafziger – Combination First Day Covers of the Fourth Bureau Definitive Issues (79 pts)

Also, American First Day Cover Society – Award
Large Silver
George Struble – You’re Trying to Pay Postage with THAT? (74 pts)

Also, Northwest Federation of Stamp Clubs - Thunderbird Award

Worth Mathewson – Confederate Postal Service (73 pts)

Also, Women Exhibitors – Sterling Achievement Award

Worth Mathewson – Confederate General Issues #6, #7L, #7R (70 pts)
Silver
Tim Bergquist – My U.S. ATA One-Page Exhibits (67 pts)

YOUTH EXHIBITS
Large Vermeil
Presley Joy Whittaker – Stamps and Saddles (82 pts)

Also, American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors – Youth Award; American Topical Association – Youth Award
Silver
Yumiko Ramirez – Big Horns, Big Mission (68 pts)

PIPEX 2026 JURY MEMBERS
John Hotchner, Falls Church, Virginia, Jury Chair

Mike Ley, Doniphan, Nebraska

Pat Walker, University Park, Florida

Jan Hofmeyr, Victoria, BC, Canada

Ray Pietruszka, Madison, Alabama

Dzintars Grinfelds, San Francisco, California, apprentice