PLEASANTON, Calif. — Blackhawk Network, a subsidiary of Safeway primarily involved in providing third-party prepaid gift cards, this week announced the winners of its Hawk Awards, honoring excellence in the gift card industry. The awards were given in five areas: card design, promotion, product innovation, industry achievement and best overall gift card program. The winners were: Southwest Airlines for Best Card Design; Universal Orlando Resort for Best Promotional Program; NetSpend Corp. for Most Innovative Product or Service; iTunes for Industry Achievement; and Target for Best Gift Card Program. "The Hawk Awards are an opportunity for Blackhawk Network to highlight the best practices that have contributed not only to the success of Blackhawk, but to the advancement and growth of the industry overall," said Donald Kingsborough, president and chief executive officer of Blackhawk Network.

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