From the Editor: The 2023 TOTY Awards Issue of The Toy Book is Here!

Honoring Excellence in the Business of Play

It’s been more than three years since The Toy Foundation’s Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards last took place in The Big Apple.

Since that time, the world has changed greatly, and following a return to live, in-person events with last fall’s “timeline reset” TOTY Awards in Dallas, the event is back in a big way on the eve of Toy Fair, Sept. 29, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.

Amid the cool fall air and beneath the magical glow of the Manhattan skyline, the 24th TOTY Awards is poised to honor and celebrate the products and people that make the toy industry special, all while serving as The Toy Foundation’s principal fundraising event.

In our special-edition, commemorative issue of The Toy Book, we’re shining a spotlight on the finalists across 17 play-focused categories and four new people-focused categories.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE 2023 TOTY AWARDS ISSUE!

As you flip through this issue, you’ll also find exclusive commentary from The Toy Foundation’s Executive Director, Pamela Mastrota (Pg. 12); a TOTYs Flashback (Pg. 58), and a look at this year’s Hall of Fame inductees (Pg. 64).

Our team here at The Toy Book sends best wishes to all of this year’s TOTY finalists, and encourages all of you to cast your votes for the best of the best!

As this issue lands, we’re rolling into the all-important holiday season and are deep into production on our second-biggest issue of The Toy Book this year. It’s our can’t-miss Toy Fair 2023 x 2024 Preview, and it’s gonna be a good one!

We look forward to seeing you and connecting in person at the Javits Center next month. Ready to rock?

A version of this article originally appeared in the 2023 TOTY issue of The Toy Book. Click here to read the issue, and click here to subscribe!

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.