Aug 3, 2017
Nominations open today for TOTY 2018

The Toy Association has announced that nominations are now open for the 2018 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards – also known as the “Oscars” of the toy industry.

Toy companies, inventors, and other industry representatives are invited to submit their toys, games, and licenses for consideration across a total of 17 TOTY categories through September 20. The nomination link is available on The Toy Association websiteSee below for the full list of categories and their descriptions, including several new or renamed categories for 2018. [Note: a product cannot be nominated for more than one category.]

“The TOTY Awards celebrate the collective toy industry’s most creative and innovative toys and games that deliver the incredible benefits of play to children of all ages,” says Ken Seiter, vice president of marketing communications at The Toy Association. “We are proud to continue this time-honored tradition, and look forward to announcing the big winners at our gala in February 2018!”

Twenty-five judges, including toy and play experts, retailers, inventors, academics, and journalists, will use an online form to review, comment on, and rank hundreds of submitted products in specific categories that are relevant to their areas of expertise. They will consider each product’s creativity and originality; design and quality; play value; and marketing and promotion, before meeting in person to discuss and determine the roster of finalists.

Finalists will be announced to media, bloggers, and industry professionals at Play Fair’s new media preview event, to be held Friday, November 3, the night before Play Fair opens to the general public. At that time, voting will open for retailers, media, Toy Association members, and consumers (at ToyAwards.org) and remain open through January 5, 2018.

One winner in each category, as well as the “People’s Choice” award (based solely on consumer votes) and the prestigious overall “Toy of the Year” winner (chosen by a panel of experts), will be announced at the TOTY Awards ceremony on Friday, February 16 at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City. This event will kick off New York Toy Fair week with a celebration honoring the most outstanding new toy products to hit the marketplace, the industry icons being inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame, and the inspiring work of the Toy Industry Foundation.

For more information, visit the TOTY website or email toty@toyassociation.org.                     

TOTY 2018 Categories 

Action Figure of the Year
Toys that include action figures

Creative Toy of the Year (previously called Activity Toy of the Year)
Toys that allow kids to build and/or make items that are unique to them

Collectible of the Year
Toys that compose a set and can be collected in multiples; can include novelty playthings, miniature versions of existing lines, licensed collectibles, etc.

Construction Toy of the Year
Toys that include building & engineering sets

Doll of the Year
Toys that include baby, toddler, and fashion dolls

Game of the Year
Children’s board, card, electronic or other physical game formats and puzzles

Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year (new category)
Toys that are developed for ages 0-3

Innovative Toy of the Year
Toys that utilize innovative design, technology, or manufacturing processes to enhance play value

License of the Year
Character or property that has had success spreading its brand throughout the industry

Outdoor Toy of the Year
Toys that are designed for outdoor play, including ride-ons

Playset of the Year (new category)
Toys that are designed to work together to enact some action or event

Plush of the Year (new category)
Toys that are made of fabric and stuffed with cotton or similar filling

Preschool Toy of the Year (new category)
Toys that are developed for ages 3-5

Rookie of the Year
A new company (created within the last 2 years) that has brought to market an outstanding toy

Specialty Toy of the Year (new description includes “not sold at mass”)
Toys that are distributed through specialty retailers and are not sold at mass

Tech Toy of the Year
Physical toys that are electronic or interact with a smartphone, tablet or gaming device

Vehicle of the Year
Toys that are powered or non-powered vehicles, and their playsets / accessories




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