Wow! Stuff’s Jurassic World Real FX Baby Blue is among the finalists at the TOTY Awards run by the Toy Association.

The finalists – all 122 of them – have been announced for this September’s Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards.

As expected, the list is dominated by US companies but flying the flag for Britain in the Action Figure category is Wow! Stuff with its Jurassic World Real FX Baby Blue animatronic dinosaur.

“To be a finalist in one of the most hotly contested categories at the TOTY Awards is kudos to our fantastic teams,” said Wow! Stuff’s head of Licensing, Kenny McAndrew.

The finalists, across 17 categories, were selected by a panel of judges comprising play experts, journalists, academics, retailers and other toy experts, and now it’s up to the voters to determine the winners.

Everyone is invited to visit ToyAwards.org to vote for their favourites in each category, with voting closing on 2nd September. Category winners will be announced at the TOTY Awards on 20th September at the Dallas Market Center, on the opening day of The Toy Association’s 2023 Preview & 2022 Holiday Market.

The overall Toy of the Year and People’s Choice award winners will be announced on 21st November, 2022. Voting for the People’s Choice Award, decided by online consumer votes, will remain open until 11th November, 2022. The Toy of the Year will be determined by a panel of expert judges.

Reacting to the news that Jurassic World Real FX Baby Blue has reached the finals of the Awards, Wow! Stuff’s head of Licensing, Kenny McAndrew added: “The TOTY Awards are the highest honour in the global toy industry. The Action Figure category is the one everyone wants to win and now that they take place ahead of the holiday season, any winner can utilise the prestige and authority of the TOTY Awards to say ‘don’t take our word that this is a truly special toy, see what our industry says’.”

“The finalists are marvelous examples of innovation and imagination to deliver the power of play to children and adults alike,” said Pamela Mastrota, executive director of The Toy Foundation. “While the TOTY Awards spotlight the best of the best in toys, it’s heartening that our toy family chooses this platform to unite behind the TTF’s core programme areas. Thanks to your collective support, we’re able to deliver millions of toys to disadvantaged youth, improve pediatric care in under-resourced communities, and help attract diverse talent to the industry.”

The TOTY Awards are a key fundraiser for TTF to support its year-round philanthropic work and all event proceeds (including TOTY nomination fees) benefit its initiatives, including the Children’s Hospital Play Grants programme to bring the healing power of play to children in hospital settings.

To see the full list of Toy of the Year finalists, click here.