An animated game to create movie magic, an activity table to drop musical beats, and an 8-foot inflatable obstacle course to spark endless outdoor fun are among the inventive finalists for the prestigious Toy of the Year Awards.
The Toy Foundation (TTF) has announced the top 122 toys, games, and properties across 17 product categories (listed below) that are advancing the world of play.
Consumers are invited to visit ToyAwards.org to see the complete list of product category finalists and vote for their favourites to help determine the category winners through from now until 8th September.
The product finalists were selected by an independent panel of play experts, journalists, academics, retailers and other toy experts, who narrowed down the pool from the hundreds of nominations submitted by top companies of all sizes. The category winners, determined by votes from consumers, Toy Association members, retailers, and media, will be announced at the TOTY Awards on 29th September in New York City. As the kickoff to Toy Fair, the TOTY Awards are the biggest night of the year for toys, where the industry gathers to recognise innovation across every category of play. The night is also the ultimate fundraiser to support TTF’s work delivering the extraordinary benefits of play to children in need around the world.
The Toy of the Year and People’s Choice winners will be announced on 20th November, in time to create peak holiday shopping buzz. Voting for the People’s Choice Award, decided by online consumer votes, will remain open until 10th November. The Toy of the Year will be determined by a panel of expert judges.
New for the TOTY Awards, the achievements of industry trailblazers and outstanding initiatives will be celebrated across four people-focused and two campaign-focused categories. 27 professionals have been recognised as finalists for advancing the toy industry across sustainability; diversity, equity, and inclusion; packaging design; and PR/marketing. The people-focused category winners will be determined by Toy Association member votes. An independent panel of marketing and corporate social responsibility (CSR) professionals, assembled in partnership with Advertising Week, have evaluated the campaign-focused nominations and will determine the winners.
“This year’s TOTY Awards finalists are an unmatched line-up of toys, games, and professionals that represent the best of the best in the toy industry,” said Pamela Mastrota, executive director of The Toy Foundation. “We look forward to celebrating all of the finalists at the industry’s biggest night of the year, plus advance the industry’s collective philanthropy for the benefit of children in need.”
TTF aims to be the uniting force for the collective philanthropy of the toy industry for the benefit of all children in need. In 2022, the industry’s support helped TTF reach more than 925,000 children and all proceeds generated from the TOTY Awards will help TTF impact even more children through the distribution of toys through The Toy Bank, support of play therapy programmes in children’s hospitals, and development of the next generation of diverse talent for the industry.
The 2023 Toy of the Year Award Finalists are as follows:
