Flowers are at the heart of fragrance and the vivid and textural graphic of a perfume bottle bursting with blooms popped up everywhere as a symbol at this year’s Fragrance Foundation Awards held June 12 at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in Manhattan. From the captivating video played on the expansive screen on stage, to the impactful panels outside the entrance on 65th Street, colorful petals were a constant reminder of the source of the products we had come to celebrate.

The star-studded event, formerly known as the FiFi Awards, paid tribute to outstanding achievements in juice, packaging,

Comedian Dana Carvey kept the presentations flowing.

retailers, perfumers and media. Comedian and Emmy Award winner Dana Carvey, former cast member of “Saturday Night Live,” hosted the event and kept the audience in stitches with his wry humor, which frequently poked fun at the French accents of many of those in attendance. “Gossip Girls” actress Jessica Szohr, “Nashville” star Connie Britton and burlesque performer Dita Von Teese were among the celebrity guest presenters.

Jill Belasco, board chair of The Fragrance Foundation, gave a special thanks to president Elizabeth Musmanno, for “bringing new excitement to the organization”—a feeling that was shared by all those in attendance.

Taylor Swift, introduced by E. Scott Beattie, chairman, president and

Taylor Swift poses on the Red Carpet atThe Fragrance Foundation Awards.

chief executive officer of Elizabeth Arden, Inc., the singer’s licensing partner in her chartbusting fragrance launches, accepted the award for Fragrance Celebrity of the Year. Beattie acknowledged Swift’s fragrance sales of more than $150 million in the past few years.

The seven-time Grammy Award winning songstress wowed the crowd in a sophisticated, sweeping white Emilio Pucci gown—far from her cowboy boots and sundresses of her past—and said that creating a fragrance is similar to writing a song: “You start with nothing and just keep adding things.” Her updated fashion look is echoed in her just-released third fragrance, with a flacon neck that flaunts a string of tiny imitation pearls.

An unusual presentation during the evening came with an original work infused with touching fragrance references, written and read by Richard Blanco, who had also created and read a poem for President Obama’s second swearing-in.

Best in Class

Florabotanica by Balenciaga Paris (Coty Prestige) was awarded two Fragrance Foundation Awards: one for Best Packaging of the Year-Women’s and one for Fragrance ofhe Year: Women’s Luxury. (Fragrance supplier: IFF; Bottle producer: SGD; Cap and pump with customized design: Aptar Beauty + Home)

Coty Prestige, P&G Prestige Products and Elizabeth Arden took home half of the 18 awards handed out during the evening, with three each.

Garvey announced this year’s winners for Best Packaging of the Year, sardonically marveling at the fact that thousands had actually voted for the “best men’s package,” and linked it to a reference to comments once made by Anthony Weiner, New York’s former U.S. Representative and now mayoral contender, during his texting scandal.

But instead of a hunky man, the winner was Montblanc Legend (Interparfums Luxury Brand), inspired by the brand’s sleek writing instruments.

Florabotanica by Balenciaga Paris (Coty Prestige) was the winner of the women’s title for Best Packaging. The award was accepted by Catherine Walsh, now serving in her newly created position as senior vice president, corporate communications, for Coty Inc.

Florabotanica also walked away with the title of Fragrance of the Year: Women’s Luxury.

Dot Marc Jacobs, another fragrance from Coty Prestige, hit the mark for Fragrance of the Year: Women’s Prestige, while the men’s award for the category went to Tom Ford Noir (Tom Ford Beauty, The Estée Lauder Companies).

Justin Bieber’s Girlfriend captured two awards.

Justin Bieber’s Girlfriend (from Elizabeth Arden) captured both Fragrance of the Year: Women’s Popular and the women’s Consumer Choice Award. It didn’t hurt that the pop heartthrob had asked his 40 million plus Twitter followers to cast their vote for him in the consumer category.

James Bond 007 (P&G Prestige Products) took off with Fragrance of the Year: Men’s Popular.

The Men’s Consumer Choice Award was presented to Acqua di Gio Essenza (Giorgio Armani).

P&G Prestige was honored with the awards for Media Campaign of the Year—for both women’s and men’s categories—both for D&G products.

QVC received an award for Retailer of the Year for its Titanic Legacy 1912 fragrance, based on the experience of a passenger on the ill-fated ship. Garvey couldn’t help but suggest to the crowd that someone quickly find a Hindenburg story for a new fragrance launch.

Allure’s founding editor-in-chief Linda Wells took home the 2013 Hall of Fame Award; she was the first editor to be honored by The Fragrance Foundation. Wells said she has been in love with scent since she first inhaled Play-Doh as a child. She spoke about all the reasons she loves fragrance, ending with: “It’s the one reason I am glad to have been born with a prominent nose.”

An air of excitement wafted through this year’s event at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall.

Patrick Firmenich, chief executive officer of the eponymous fragrance firm, presented the award to Alberto Morillas who was lauded as Perfumer of the Year for his development of an incredible number of iconic fragrances—more than 300 scents, including Marc Jacobs Daisy, Acqua di Gio and CK One. Morillas was the first-time recipient of this award.

Firmenich made reference to Morillas’ early days as an artist, prior to discovering his true love of fragrance creation, saying, “He is not a painter—but the Picasso of perfumery.”

The classic Red Door by Elizabeth Arden was inducted into the Fragrance Hall of Fame.

Several other awards were previously announced at The Fragrance Foundation Breakfast on April 19. For a complete listing of awards, please see nitesh_bp.rodpub.com