Even the steel and glass wonderland of famed New York City tourist Mecca Times Square, visible through the ninth-story windows of the Marriott Marquis Hotel, couldn't distract excited attendees from the nominees for the prestigious seventh annual Housewares Design Awards, on display before the lunchtime presentation ceremony -- for all most of them noticed, there might as well have been a plain black backdrop behind the exquisitely arranged items. The awards, given out Feb. 3 and often referred to as the "Oscars of Home Design," honored 13 "Best in Category" winners, in addition to three items deemed "Best of the Best" and three environmentally friendly "Green House" recipients.

HomeWorld Business editor-in-chief Peter Giannetti and International Housewares Association (IHA) president Philip J. Brandl served as hosts of the presentation ceremony. "Trust is the biggest asset that this industry presents to the consumer," said Giannetti as he started things off. "[It's] the cost of entry into this business today." In his baseball-themed remarks, Giannetti referred to the 65 finalists -- culled from a pool of 300 entrants -- as "part of our all-star team."

Among the "Best in Category" winners were:

Cookware and Bakeware: Chicago Metallic Lasagna Trio, Focus Products Group, LLC
Cooking Electrics: Crock-Pot Trio Cook and Serve, Jarden Consumer Solutions
Cutlery: Twin Profection 8-Inch Chef's Knife, Zwilling J.A. Henckels
Food Preparation Electrics: Ninja Master Prep Pro Food and Drink Maker, Euro-Pro Corp.
Kitchen Hand Tools: Pro Tongs, iSi North America, Inc.
Kitchenware and Barware: Collapsible Salad Spinner, Progressive International Corp.
Tabletop: 360-Degree Grinder, Lifetime Brands, Inc.

"Best of the Best" recognition went to the Collapsible Salad Spinner (Gold), Chicago Metallic Lasagna Trio, Focus Products Group, LLC (Silver) and Nellie's PVC-Free Dryerballs from Batten Industries (Bronze).

Nellie's PVC-Free Dryerballs, the Electrolux UltraSilencer Green and the NextLife RainStore received the "Green House" Awards, which honor practical eco-friendly design. To garner the award, "it's not enough just to be green, [the product] has to work," explained Giannetti.

Retailers recognized for their extraordinary efforts regarding the merchandising, marketing and selling of housewares were Bloomingdale's and The Container Store. As Giannetti noted, without such retail partners, "all of our efforts would be for naught."

Although it's a cliché that just to be nominated for such an award is an honor, the finalists encountered, all of them first-timers, were truly grateful for the recognition. Diana York of Dallas-based BDY, Inc., whose Slow Cooker Mate was a nominee in the Cooking Electrics category, said that "[j]ust being a finalist has made a difference" in hits to the company Web site and coverage in the local press. Christopher Raia, a designer who works with Boston Warehouse Trading Corp. and was the creative impetus behind The Greens Hand Tools, whimsical people-shaped implements fashioned from a recycled wood and plastic blend, expressed genuine admiration for his distinguished competitors. Raia, who trained at the Rhode Island School of Design, was optimistic about the housewares industry in general, which, despite the economy, he described as "still seeing positive results," thanks to innovative products and loyal target consumers. For Eric O'Neill of Boca Raton, Fla.-based Jarden Consumer Solutions, the event proved even more immediately advantageous: His company won for its Crock-Pot Trio Cook and Serve.

The Housewares Design Awards were presented by HomeWorld Business, with education support from IHA and sponsorship by DuPont Teflon and the New York International Gift Fair. Products judged were introduced to the U.S. market between Oct. 1, 2008, and Sept. 30, 2009.