It was an electric evening at Joe’s Live in Rosemont, Illinois, as People of Play hosted the 17th annual Toy & Game Innovation Excellence (TAGIE) Awards on the eve of the Chicago Toy & Game Fair.
Disney’s Karri Bean was back in action as host and time traveler, stepping into the Time Booth 5000 for a journey through more than 100 years of toy, game, and licensing history. Between Bean’s stops to visit Walt Disney and the founders of Pressman Toys along the sacred timeline, Barry McLaughlin and Jason Lautenschlager (Barry & Jason Entertainment) returned to incite laughs with a look at more “Toys That Didn’t Make It” while Skip Towne & The Greyhounds provided the soundtrack for the evening.
And the 2024 TAGIE Awards winners are…
MOST INNOVATIVE ART AND DESIGN VISUALS OF THE YEAR
Presented by James Zahn and Grant Lyon
- Brady Lang and Brittney Hassinger for Moose Games’ Wild Flowers
RISING STAR INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
Presented by Amy Friedland and Chris Byrne
- Hasbro’s Ava Garfinkel for Monopoly Go! Board Game
YOUNG INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR (under 18 years old)
Presented by Tim Walsh and Tony Serebriany
- Evelyn Halbach for EcoFrenzy
MOST INNOVATIVE PR AND MARKETING TEAM OF THE YEAR
Presented by Ray Adler
- LEGO and Disney Spark Joy Campaign by LEGO Global PMD Team, Disney Global Franchise Team, Disney Global Marketing and LEGO Creative Agency LEGO
GAME CHANGER
Presented by Robert Fuhrer
- Alan Dorfman — Co-Founder and President, Super Impulse USA
MOST INNOVATIVE RETAILER OF THE YEAR
Presented by Mike Bisogno and Rany Klimpert
- Hilary Key for The Toy Chest
MOST INNOVATIVE LICENSE OF THE YEAR
Presented by Rachel Griffin and Donna Moore
- BBC Studios and Moose Toys for Bluey
MOST INNOVATIVE SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR
Presented by Angus Walker and Naomi Brugnatelli
- Robert Yusim, Product Counsel
GAME INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
Presented by Michael Kohner
- April Mitchell for Foxmind’s Slanguage (co-designer Ed Gartin), John Adam’s Am I a Dirtbag (co-designer Carine Rosalia), MoCo Games’ Danger Hugs (co-designer Serena Fadlun), Hootenanny Games’ Exciting Game (co-designer Ed Gartin), Martinex’s FormWorms and Life is Better Outside’s BamzBall
TOY INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
Presented by Peggy Brown and Shannon Swindle
- Yair Shilo and Nextoy for Goliath’s Power Saber
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Presented by Elizabeth Moody and Eleanor Black
- Mary Danby, Game Inventor
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Presented by David Fuhrer
- Dan Romanelli, Founder, Warner Bros. Consumer Products
This year’s TAGIEs marked the first award presentation since People of Play merged with The Toy Association earlier this year. People of Play produces a variety of events, including the Chicago Toy & Game (CHITAG) Fair, the Young Inventor Challenge, the Toy & Game Inventor Pitch and Innovation Conference, and more.
