CaFleureBon (“CFB”) has just posted the names of all the FiFi perfume award finalists for 2013. For those who aren’t aware, the FiFis (or, as they are now known, The Fragrance Foundation) awards honour perfume in different categories, much like the Oscars.

To quote Wikipedia, “The FiFi Awards are an annual event sponsored by The Fragrance Foundation which honor the fragrance industry’s creative achievements and is the most prominent and prestigious celebratory event of the fragrance industry. These awards have been held annually in New York City since 1973 and are attended by around 1,000 members of the international fragrance community, designers and celebrities from the fashion, theatre, film, or television industries.” So, just like the Oscars celebrate the prior year in movie-making, the Fragrance Foundation will recognize perfumery from 2012 with their 2013 finalists and awards.

Relying on a report from Women’s Wear Daily, CFB writes that

[t]he top five finalists in each category will be announced at the Finalist Breakfast, April 19 ,2013 at the Mandarin Oriental.  The winners will be named at The Fragrance Foundation Awards 2013 on June 12 at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center.The event, hosted this year by actress Christine Baranski, will also honor Allure editor in chief, Linda Wells for her contributions to the fragrance industry.

The finalists are:

Fragrance of the Year: Women’s Luxury
ALIEN Essence Absolue by Thierry Mugler (Clarins Fragrance Group)
Annick Goutal Nuit Etoilée (Beauté Prestige International)
Bond No. 9 Central Park West (Laurice & Co./Bond No. 9 New York) Perfumer Laurent Le Guernec 
Chanel Coco Noir  Perfumer Jaques Polge
Florabotanica by Balenciaga Paris (Coty Prestige)
Gucci Premiere (P&G Prestige Products)
Hermès L’Ambre Des Merveilles (Beauté Prestige International) Perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena 
Jivago Rose Gold (Ilana Jivago Inc.)
Miss Dior Le Parfum by Dior
Tom Ford Café Rose by Tom Ford Beauty  Perfumer Antoine Lie

Fragrance of the Year: Women’s Prestige
Coach Poppy Blossom by Aramis & Designer Fragrances (The Estée Lauder Companies)
Dahlia Noir EDT (LVMH Fragrance Brands)
Dolce and Gabbana Pour Femme (P&G Prestige Products)
DOT Marc Jacobs (Coty Prestige)
Issey Miyake Pleats Please (Beauté Prestige International)
Jimmy Choo Eau De Toilette (Interparfums Luxury Brands)
La Petite Robe Noire by Guerlain
L.I.L.Y by Stella McCartney
MARCHESA parfum d’extase by Sephora  Perfumer Annie Buzantian 
Midnight Fleur by NEST Fine Fragrances Perfumer Jerome Epinette

Fragrance of the Year: Women’s Popular
Christina Aguilera Red Sin (P&G Prestige Products)
Forever Red by Bath & Body Works
GAP Established 1969 (Inter Parfums USA)
Halle Berry Closer (Coty Beauty)
Justin Bieber’s Girlfriend (Elizabeth Arden)
Pink Friday Nicki Minaj (Elizabeth Arden)
Seduction Dark Orchid by Victoria’s Secret
So Elixir Purple (Yves Rocher Amérique du Nord inc.)
Unplugged for Her (Avon Products, Inc.)
Victorinox Swiss Army (Victoria Victorinox Swiss Army, Inc.)

Fragrance of the Year: Men’s Luxury
Annick Goutal Nuit Etoilée (Beauté Prestige International)
Bond No. 9 New York Musk (Laurice & Co./Bond No.9 New York) Perfumer Laurent Le Guernec 
Colonia Intensa Oud by Acqua Di Parma
Ermenegildo Zegna Essenze Italian Bergamot by Aramis & Designer Fragrances (The Estée Lauder Companies)

Fragrance of the Year: Men’s Prestige
Acqua di Giò Essenza by Giorgio Armani  Perfumer Alberto Morillas 
Chanel Allure Homme Sport Eau Extrême
Code Ultimate by Giorgio Armani
Dolce & Gabbana the one for men Sport (P&G Prestige Products)
ENCOUNTER Calvin Klein (Coty Prestige)
Lacoste L.12.12 Rouge (P&G Prestige Products)
Montblanc Legend (Interparfums Luxury Brands)
Play Sport by Parfums Givenchy
Spice Bomb by Viktor & Rolf  Perfumer Olivier Polge
Tom Ford Noir (Tom Ford Beauty)

Fragrance of the Year: Men’s Popular
GAP Established 1969 (Inter Parfums USA)
James Bond 007 (P&G Prestige Products)
Paris for Men by Bath & Body Works
Perry Ellis Aqua (Falic Fashion Group)
Playboy VIP for Him (Coty)
ROCKS by Original Penguin (Falic Fashion Group)
Unplugged for Him (Avon Products, Inc.)

Best Packaging of the Year: Women’s
Amazon Lily by NEST Fine Fragrances
Betsy Johnson Too Too Pretty (Inter Parfums USA)
Brooks Brothers Miss Madison (Inter Parfums USA)
Chanel Coco Noir
Donna Karan Woman by Aramis & Designer Fragrances (The Estée Lauder Companies)
Flora Garden by Gucci (P&G Prestige Products)
Florabotanica by Balenciaga Paris (Coty Prestige)
Gucci Premiere (P&G Prestige Products)
Issey Miyake Pleats Please (Beauté Prestige International)
Pink Friday Nicki Minaj (Elizabeth Arden)

Best Packaging of the Year: Men’s (due to a tie there are 11 finalists)
Acqua di Giò Essenza by Giorgio Armani
Bond No. 9 New York Musk (Laurice & Co./Bond No.9 New York)
Code Ultimate by Giorgio Armani
Dolce & Gabbana the one for men Sport (P&G Prestige Products)
Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Sport (Beauté Prestige International)
James Bond 007 (P&G Prestige Products)
Lacoste L.12.12 Rouge (P&G Prestige Products)
Montblanc Legend (Interparfums Luxury Brands)
Playboy VIP for Him (Coty)
Unplugged for Him (Avon Products, Inc.)
Victorinox Swiss Army Forest ( Victorinox Swiss Army, Inc.)

Media Campaign of the Year: Women’s
Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme (P&G Prestige Products)
Donna Karan Woman by Aramis & Designer Fragrances (The Estée Lauder Companies)
Gucci Premiere (P&G Prestige Products)
Issey Miyake Pleats Please (Beauté Prestige International)
J’adore by Dior
Justin Bieber’s Girlfriend (Elizabeth Arden)
Lady Gaga FAME (Coty)
Pink Friday Nicki Minaj (Elizabeth Arden)
Victoria’s Secret Angel Gold (Victoria’s Secret)
Wonderstruck Enchanted Taylor Swift (Elizabeth Arden)

Media Campaign of the Year: Men’s
Acqua di Giò Essenza by Giorgio Armani
Chanel Allure Homme Sport Eau Extrême
Code Ultimate by Giorgio Armani
Dolce & Gabbana the one for men Sport (P&G Prestige Products)
ENCOUNTER Calvin Klein (Coty Prestige)
Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Sport (Beauté Prestige International)
James Bond 007 (P&G Prestige Products)
Lacoste L.12.12 Rouge (P&G Prestige Products)
Montblanc Legend (Interparfums Luxury Brands)

Interior Scent Collection of the Year
AERIN Home Fragrance Collection by NEST Fragrances
After Midnight Candle Collection by NEST Fragrances
Cider Lane Home Fragrance Collection by Bath & Body Works
i.relax Aroma Diffuser by Oregon Scientific
R. Nichols Candle Collection by R. Nichols Candles
Ralph Lauren Home Fragrance Collection by Maesa
Sa Majesté La Rose by Belle Fleur New York
The American Boardwalk Candle Collection by Bath & Body Works

Bath & Body Line of the Year
Crabtree & Evelyn West Indian Lime by Crabtree & Evelyn
Forever Red by Bath & Body Works
Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme Sport (Beauté Prestige International)
PINK wild & breezy by Victoria’s Secret

Fragrance Hall of Fame
A*MEN by Thierry Mugler (Clarins Fragrance Group)
Annick Goutal Petite Chérie (Beauté Prestige International)
Jivago 24K (Ilana Jivago Inc.)
Red Door by Elizabeth Arden

(source: Women’s Wear Daily)

NICHE/INDIE perfumes:

I should add that the 2013 FiFi award finalists for the niche “Indie” category were announced long ago and consisted of the following fragrances:

”Indie” is defined as an established brand that has been on the market for at least two years, is not distributed or owned by a large company and is sold in one to 50 stores in the U.S.

The official 30 Indie fragrance nominees recognized by The Fragrance Foundation and the Indie committee are:

• Amber Oud by Kilian (By Kilian Inc.)
• Boutonnière No. 7—Arquiste Parfumeur (Arquiste Parfumeur)
• Bowmakers by D.S. & Durga (D.S. & Durga)
• Broderie by Hayari Paris (Hayari Paris)
• “Calling All Angels” April Aromatics (April Aromatics)
• Cuirelle—Ramon Monegal Barcelona (Ramon Monegal Perfumes Barcelona)
• Eau de Flog, Opus Oils (Opus Oils)
• Eau Monumentale by Thirdman (Third Man Inc.)
• Edward Bess “Eau La La” (Edward Bess)
• Glam Monster (Donato Style LLC)
• Ineke Hothouse Flower (Ineke LLC)
• Intimacy eau de parfum (JoAnne Bassett)
• Lady Day by Maria Candida Gentile (Maria Candida Gentile)
• Le Cherche Midi No. 30 Eau D’Hive (Le Cherche Midi)
• “Le Smoking” for Denver Art Museum (DSH Perfumes)
• Lightscape Ulrich Lang New York (Ulrich Lang New York)
• Meadow & Fir—Phoenix Botanicals (Phoenix Botanicals)
• Moss Gown—Providence Perfume Co. (Providence Perfume Co.)
• Purusa Root by Sebastian Signs (Sebastian Signs Fragrances Company LLC)
• Qajar Rose—Lalun Naturals, Inc. (Parfums Lalun, Lalun Naturals, Inc.)
• Raw Spirit”Firetree” Fragrance Oil (World Senses Pty Ltd.)
• Rima XI—Carner Barcelona (Carner Barcelona)
• Rodin, L. Rodin, LLC (Rodin Olio Lusso)
• Speakeasy by P. Frapin & Cie (P. Frapin & Cie)
• Strawberry Passion by Skye Botanicals (Skye Botanicals)
• Terrasse A St-Germain, Jul et Mad (Jul et Mad)
• Trayee, Neela Vermeire Creation (Neela Vermeire Creations)
• Treazon by Ayala Moriel Parfums (Ayala Moriel Parfums)
• Wild Roses by Aftelier Perfumes (Aftelier Perfumes)
• Woody by Smell Bent (Smell Bent)

The winner was announced on January 28, 2013 and was By Kilian’s Amber Oud.