NEWS

Licensing International Excellence Awards finalists revealed

Published on: 24th April 2023

This year’s Excellence Awards features 30 categories, including toys and children’s licences, and the winners will be announced in Vegas.

Licensing International has announced the full list of finalists for the prestigious Excellence Awards, dedicated to recognizing outstanding achievements and innovation in the global brand licensing industry.

This year’s Excellence Awards features 201 finalists in 30 categories. More than 850 submissions were reviewed by a panel that includes 200 judges from 20 countries. Several new categories were introduced this year, including the award for Most Impactful Service Provider, which honours companies that help the industry run more effectively, including accounting and law firms, brand protection and approval software companies, and design agencies. A Best Sustainability Initiative award will recognise a licensed product or product range that is making measurable improvements in sustainability.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the global brand licensing industry’s incredible work,” said Maura Regan, president of Licensing International. “By expanding the categories and adding new awards, we can better reflect our constantly evolving business. Congratulations to this year’s finalists, and we look forward to celebrating our community at this year’s ceremony.”

Licensing International members can vote for the winners from today, Monday, April 24th. Each member company will receive one ballot to vote for each category and voting will end on Saturday, May 6th.

The winners will be announced during the Licensing International Excellence Awards ahead of Licensing Expo. The ceremony will take place on Monday, June 12th at 5pm PST at HyperX Arena Las Vegas at the Luxor.

Licensing Expo will take place from June 13th – 15th at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

The list of nominees includes:

Best Brand: Entertainment Animated

Bluey – Ludo Studio & BBC Studios
CoComelon – Moonbug Entertainment
Let’s Play with Monica and Friends – Mauricio de Sousa Produções
Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir – Zag
Naruto – Shueisha, TV Tokyo, VizMedia
Peppa Pig – Hasbro
Spider-Man – Marvel

Best Product: Toys, Games, Novelties, Role Play (ages 0-8)

Disguise – Jurassic World
Disguise – Pokémon
Jakka Pacific – Super Mario Bros
Jazwares – CoComelon
Mattel – Karma’s World
Moose Toys – Bluey (BBC Studios)
Spin Master – Gabby’s Dollhouse
WowWee – Twister

Best Product: Toys, Games, Novelties, Role Play (ages 8+)

Basic Fun (Lite-Brite) – Stranger Things
Jakka Pacific – Jurassic World
New York Times Games & Hasbro – Wordle
The Carat Shop – Harry Potter
The Lego Group – Harry Potter
The LegoGroup – MoMA
Ukrainian Gears – Harry Potter (European Licensing Company)
Wow! Stuff – Jurassic World

Best Brand- Toy

Barbie – Mattel
Hot Wheels – Mattel
Lego/Marvel – The Walt Disney Company
Masters of the Universe – Mattel
Mini Brands – Zuru Toys
Monopoly – Hasbro
Nerf – Hasbro
Squishmallows – Jazwares
A full list of nominees is available here.

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