Forty-four floats, 16 marching bands, 22 equestrian troupes and one giant octopus later, Tournament of the Roses officials have announced the 24 winners of the 123rd Pasadena Rose Bowl parade, giving tops honors to Dole's "Preserving Paradise" float, the second year in a row Dole has won the award.
The process of planning, building and entering floats in the parade takes months, with companies and volunteers planning for the next year shortly after the previous parade has ended. According to the Los Angeles Times, the average cost of a float is more than a typical American home.
A panel of three judges appointed by the Tournament of Roses Judging Committee scores the floats based on a variety of criteria including creative design, best use of computerized animation, and interpretation of the year's theme (the theme for 2012 is "Just Imagine"), The Los Angeles Times Explains.
The judges evaluate the floats in two sessions prior to the start of the parade, when the floats are in stages of being decorated. The results from the two sessions are then combined to determine the trophy winners, and the list is released to the media before the start of the parade.
As reported by CBS Los Angeles, the full list of winners for 2012's Rose Parade are as follows:
Sweepstakes Trophy for most beautiful entry:
Dole, "Preserving Paradise"
Animation Trophy for best display of animation:
Farmers Insurance Group, "The Unimaginable"
Craftsman Trophy for outstanding showmanship and dramatic impact over 55 feet in length:
Trader Joe's, "Hot Lava"
Crown City Innovation Trophy for Best use of imagination and innovation to advance the art of float design:
City of Los Angeles, "Dinosaurs in L.A.'s Backyard"
Directors' Trophy Honoring Jacob Maarse for outstanding artistic merit in design and floral presentation:
Bayer Advanced, "Garden of Imagination"
Extraordinaire Trophy for most spectacular entry including floats that cannot retract to 55 feet in length:
Natural Balance Pet Foods Inc., "Surf’s Up"
Fantasy Trophy for best display of fantasy and imagination:
City of South Pasadena, "When Life Gives You Lemons"
Founders' Trophy for most beautiful entry built and decorated by volunteers from the sponsoring community or organization:
Downey Rose Float Association, "Enchanted Paradise"
Governor's Trophy for Best depiction of life in California:
City of Torrance, "Looking Back, Moving Forward"
Grand Marshal's Trophy for most creative concept and design:
Discover Card, "The Dream Believers"
Bob Hope Humor Trophy for most comical and amusing:
La Canada Flintridge Tournament of Roses Association, "If Pigs Could Fly"
International Trophy for most beautiful entry from outside the United States:
China Airlines, "Spirit of Prosperity and Harmony"
Isabella Coleman Trophy for best presentation of color and color harmony:
Odd Fellows & Rebekahs, "Shining Knights Still Exist"
Judges' Special Trophy for outstanding showmanship and dramatic impact:
Donate Life, "…One More Day"
Lathrop K. Leishman Trophy for most beautiful entry from a non-commercial sponsor:
Kaiser Permanente, "Every Body Walk"
Mayor's Trophy for Most outstanding city entry:
Burbank Tournament of Roses Association, "The Dream Machine"
National Trophy for Best depiction of life in the United States:
Western Asset Management, "Imagine in America"
Past Presidents' Trophy for most innovative use of both floral and non floral materials:
Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles, "100 Years of Girls Scouts — What Will You Do Today"
President's Trophy for most effective use and presentation of flowers:
Republic of Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism & Creative Economy, "Wonderful Indonesia"
Princesses' Trophy most beautiful entry under 35 feet in length:
Rotary International, "Inching Towards the End of Polio"
Queen's Trophy for best use of roses:
AIDS Healthcare Foundation, "Our Champion"
Theme Trophy for best presentation of the Rose Parade theme:
US Bank, "Idea Factory"
Tournament Special Trophy for exceptional merit in multiple classifications:
RFD-TV, "Happy Trails"
Tournament Volunteers' Trophy for best floral design of parade theme under 35 feet in length:
Shriners Hospitals for Children, "Soaring for Kids"
