US trade body the Toy Association has unveiled its 122 nominations across the 17 categories in its prestigious charity fundraiser Toy of the Year awards.
The announcement of the nominations kicks off the countdown to the September gongs, and, because of the awards’ new calendar, reflect the best toys over the past few years in the different categories as selected by the panel of judges including “play experts, journalists, academics, retailers, and other toy experts,”.
The public will now vote for the winners at www.toyawards.org, with the winners unveiled at an awards event in Dallas on September 20 just before the Association’s 2023 Preview and 2022 Holiday Market.
The overall winner and the People’s Choice will be unveiled in November to further boost toy PR just before the crucial present season.
“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 program 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.”
Nominations include familiar faces such as Batman, Gigabots, Heroes Of Goo Jit Zu, Jurassic World, Star Wars and Transdormers in Action Figure of the Year; Crayola, Disney, LEFO Minifugures and Harry Potter in Collectible of the Year; LEGO going up against Thames & Kosmos and ore in the Construction Toy of The Year category; everything from Black Panther to Miniland Baby Dolls in Doll of the Year; Pokemon and Connect 4 Spin Game in Game of the Year and Barbie Signature Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Doll taking on Fisher Price’s Ted Lasso Little People Collector in Grown-up Toy of the Year.
Other categories include Creative Toy of the Year; Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year; Licence of the Year, for which cover star Gabby’s Dollhouse is nominated; Outdoor Toy; Playset; Plush Toy; Preschool Toy; Ride-on Toy; Speciality Toy; Steam Toy and Vehicle of the Year.
