Halloween & Costume Association Reveals Spooky Awards Finalists

The Halloween & Costume Association (HCA) opened the crypt to reveal the finalists for its inaugural Spooky Awards.

This new honor “celebrates the inventive ideas and achievements that make Halloween such a magical time of year,” including costumes, accessories, and decor. According to the HCA, “these finalists represent the brilliance that shapes our industry.”

And the nominees are…

Accessories

Skeleton Bat Plushy Backpack (Comeco)
Minecraft 15th Anniversary Netherite Slick Pickaxe (Disguise)
254 Ingrid (Ellie Shoes)
Skin Bag (Ghoulish Productions)
Squishmallows Gwendolyn the Neon Strawberry Bat Treat Pail (Jazwares)

Costume Adult

Wicked Elphaba Deluxe Adult Costume (Disguise)
Halo Master Chief Ultra Prestige Deluxe Adult Costume (Disguise)
Marvel Spider-Man Official Primalux Costume (Jazwares)
Joker Deluxe Costume (Rubies II)
Elegant Brown Pirate Jacket with Lace Embroidery (Western Fashion)

Costume Child

Minecraft Enderdragon Inflatable Costume (Disguise)
Squishmallows Gwendolyn Strawberry Bat Costume (Jazwares)
Wonka Kids Costume (Rubies II)
Skibidi Toilet Child Inflatable Costume (Rubies)

Costume Licensed

Wicked Glinda Child Costume (Disguise)
Sonic the Hedgehog Movie Deluxe Costume (Disguise)
Poppy Playtime Huggy Wuggy Deluxe Costume (Disguise)
Star Wars Villains Official Youth Dress-Up Set (Jazwares)
Squishmallows Gwendolyn Strawberry Bat Costume (Jazwares)

Costume Non-Character

Glue Gun Costume (Rasta Imposta)
The Jetsons Rosie Inflatable Costume (Rubies II)

Decor

Severed Leg Prop (Ghoulish Productions)
Dead Body (Ghoulish Productions)
4ft. Posable Skeleton Grave Breaker (Morris Costumes)
Godzilla Lawn Inflatable (Rubies II)

Makeup

Rigid Collodion (Mehron Makeup)
Wednesday & Enid Halloween Kit (Rubies II)

Masks

Stranger Things Demogorgon (Ghoulish Productions)
Stranger Things Vecna (Ghoulish Productions)
Lucifer (Ghoulish Productions)
Friday the 13th: Jason Goes to Hell ’93 — Jason (Trick or Treat Studios)
Minotaur Moving Mouth Harnessed Bull Beast (Zagone Studios)

Most Innovative

Kirby Pop Out (Disguise)
Frozen Ice Monster Adult Inflatable Costume (Disguise)
Pumpkin Glove Scraper (Halloween Moments)
T-Rex Mardi Gras Dress-Up Kit (Rubies II)
Missing Body Parts (Vidal Candies USA)

Sustainability

Minecraft Steve Recycled Blend Costume (Disguise)
Staff: Zombie Hand (Ghoulish Productions)

Spooky Awards winners will be announced by the HCA during a ceremony at the Halloween & Party Expo in January 2025.

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.