Nominations will be accepted through May 30, 2026, for the Philip H. Ward Award for Excellence in First Day Cover Literature, presented 
annually by the American First Day Cover Society. All works published in 2025 are eligible.
All articles and published in First Days, the AFDCS journal, are automatically considered. Other articles and works may be submitted to the Ward Award Committee chair, Mark Goodson, 315 East Dewey Street, Ellettsville, IN 47429-1901, bgdsn@comcast.net, either as clippings or .pdf scans of the material as published.
The award is presented each year at Americover, the annual convention of the AFDCS, which will be held August 7-9, 2026, in conjunction with 
BALPEX. A complete list of past winners can be found at www.afdcs.org/Awards-&-Honors#phw
Past works honored by the AFDCS reflect a wide variety of sources, including journals of other organizations and books.
The award is named in honor of Philip H. Ward (1890-1963), the distinguished Philadelphia stamp collector, dealer and journalist who was a pioneer in the field of first day covers. The award was instituted by the AFDCS in 1964.
