Winners of the new award will be announced at the next WPO meeting in Sydney, Australia in May 2013, along with the winners of the Sustainability and President's Award categories - for which the lists of candidates are also soon to be announced.
A panel of 25 expert judges from around the world decided upon the 2013 WorldStar Awards in a series of meetings in Singapore between 24-27 November 2012.
This year a record 316 entries from 33 countries were appraised - all previous winners of national packaging competitions - from which 159 winners were finally selected.
Plethora of winners
The Food category produced 42 WorldStar winners from 81 entries; Beverages 41 from 78; Health & Beauty 15 from 33; Electronics 11 from 18; Pharmaceutical & Medical 11 from 24; with a further 35 winners out of 69 in the Other category.
WPO president Thomas Schneider said: "Once again the WorldStar judging event brings together packaging leaders from all over the world for a singular purpose: to judge the best of the best packaging designs from every continent.
"In doing so, the World Packaging Organization highlights the creativity that is alive and quite well within the packaging community."
Smurfit Kappa
Paper-based packaging group Smurfit Kappa scooped four WorldStar Awards in this year's judging, in the Food category for its Stairway Pack in Germany; in Beverages for its Miller Genuine Draft pack in the Czech Republic; and for its Be-Bionic prosthesis pack and 'Toilet-To-Go' pack in the Sanitaryware category in the UK.
Group COO Tony Smurfit said: "Being judged by our peers and awarded these four WorldStar Awards is very gratifying and reflects on the success of our teamwork rather than rewarding individual specialities such as graphic, printing or pack engineering ability. We are all highly honoured."
Ardagh Group
Rigid packaging specialist Ardagh Group also secured a 2013 WorldStar Award, adding to the tally it has received for its limited edition Jean-Paul Gaultier Coca-Cola 'contour' aluminium bottle.
The design of the packs replicates the traditional Coca-Cola bottle contours, and incorporates the reproduction of flesh-toned backgrounds - a critical design element that was particularly admired by the WorldStar judges - with images of typically intricate, burlesque-style Gaultier attire.
The solid pure white basecoat offers a premium printing surface for the high definition offset printing for optimal visual rendering.
Of the award win, Aluminium Packaging Europe sales director Marc Bettinger said: "The team at Ardagh Group are to be congratulated for their skilful and creative application of the highest quality graphics and high definition imagery to premium quality metal packaging."
The May 2013 WPO meeting in Sydney, Australia will coincide with the Auspack Plus 2013 show. The judging for the 2014 WorldStar packaging awards will take place in Barcelona in November this year.
With the slogan 'Better Quality of Life Through Better Packaging for More People', the World Packaging Organisation is made up of member organisations from 46 countries.
WPO encourages the development of packaging technology, science and engineering; the stimulation of international trade; and the advancement of packaging education and training.