Nov 20, 2009

Toy Industry Association Announces Finalists for 10th Annual TOTY (Toy of the Year) Awards

TIA members who will vote exclusively for products in twelve categories, including two separate categories for Infant and Preschool, which is new this year. In addition, one toy will be designated Toy of the Year.

Well-recognized as the “Oscars®” of the toy industry, the coveted toy industry awards program is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2010.

TOTY awards are determined by a vote of the TIA members and associate members (one vote per member organization). The ultimate “Toy of the Year” winner is selected from among the products appearing on the TOTY ballot or via a write-in vote by TIA members.

TOTY nominations rose this year by 18% and were submitted by 120 distinct sponsors. The submissions represent a broad cross section of the toy industry, covering products for both specialty and mass market retail sectors.

All 2010 TOTY nominated products must be available at retail in the United States when the nomination is submitted and have been introduced to the marketplace within the last two years. (A new version of an older product line is eligible as long as the “new” iteration has been introduced within the last two years.) No more than two products from one company may appear in an award category on the final ballot. Companies with multiple divisions and whose individual divisions have nominated toys may be represented by up to three products on the final ballot.

The toys featured on the ballot were selected by members of the TOTY Nominations Committee, a group comprised of industry professionals including major retailers, academia, toy journalists and inventors.

Jamie Gallagher, CEO of Faber-Castell USA/Creativity for Kids and chair of the TOTY Committee, affirmed the Nomination committee’s discerning role. “Our goal is to ensure the integrity of the ballot selection process by selecting top tier toys which have had retail success and exemplify the ingenuity and creativity of the industry.”

TIA introduced a more in-depth nominations submission process this year in order to obtain key product data to help it promote the toys which make it to the final ballot.

Issued today to TIA members, the ballot voting period will run through January 12, 2010.

All the products selected for the official TOTY 2010 ballot are featured on a new TIA-sponsored consumer-facing website that launched today … just in time to help drive sales for the holiday shopping season.

Consumer visitors to www.ToyAwards.org will find descriptions of each TOTY-nominated toy and links to each manufacturer’s website where they can access shopping information. To help make toy shopping easy, the Toy Awards site features a free, downloadable gift shopping list which parents and caregivers can take with them to stores to aid in selecting the most innovative and desirable toys this holiday season. Kids, parents and caregivers can also identify their favorite toys using an electronic polling system and opt-in to register for one (or more) of eleven (11) prize packages.

“The TOTY Awards celebrate the creativity and innovation of the toy industry and the products on the ballot represent this year’s “best of the best” as selected by those in the know – members of the industry itself,” said Carter Keithley, president, Toy Industry Association.

Winners will be announced during the TOTY Awards presentation ceremony that will take place on Saturday evening, February 13, 2010 at Chelsea Piers/Pier 60, officially kicking off the 107th American International Toy Fair week in New York City.

More information about the TOTY Awards, sponsorships and ticket sales as well as the Toy Industry Hall of Fame can be found on www.totyawards.org.

About TIA
TIA is the not-for-profit trade association for producers and importers of toys and youth entertainment products sold in North America, representing over 500 companies who account for approximately 85% of domestic toy sales. Toy safety is the number one priority for the toy industry. TIA has a long history of leadership in toy safety including development of the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 30 years ago, and working with government, consumers and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe play.

For more information about TIA, visit www.toyassociation.org.

For more information about the TOTY awards, visit www.totyawards.org.