Turns out the design did get an award, but I had no idea, hence it's like a secret win!
As it turns out, apparently the design DID get an award!
I'm always surprised (in a good way) by the designs that Minted picks for awards, this design however was particularly surprising to me since (1) it scored lower than the other designs I submitted, (2) I was never notified by email of the win and (3) I didn't get the extra little "Jury's Pick" star next to my name on my Minted profile (minor, I know, but those stars mean a lot to us Minties). When I got the email from Minted (about an hour after my original post about NOT winning, how ironic!) I was in disbelief! I emailed Minted just to make sure they weren't mistaken. Nope, not a mistake.
The surprise Minted award made my whole week :)
