The Toy Foundation has named the 2023 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards Finalists.
122 toys, games, and properties have been chosen as finalists across 17 product-focused categories, and 27 industry professionals have been chosen across four new people-focused categories: sustainability; diversity, equity, and inclusion; packaging design; and PR/marketing. Also new for this year are two campaign-focused categories.
The product finalists were selected by an independent panel of play experts, journalists, academics, retailers, and other toy experts, who narrowed down the pool from the hundreds of nominations submitted by top companies of all sizes. The category winners, determined by votes from consumers, Toy Association members, retailers, and media, will be announced at the TOTY Awards gala on Sept. 29 in New York City, right before the start of Toy Fair.
The people-focused category winners will be determined by Toy Association member votes. An independent panel of marketing and corporate social responsibility (CSR) professionals, assembled in partnership with Advertising Week, have evaluated the campaign-focused nominations and will determine the winners.
The Toy of the Year and People’s Choice winners will be announced on Nov. 20, in time to create peak holiday shopping buzz. Voting for the People’s Choice Award, decided by online consumer votes, will remain open through Nov. 10. The Toy of the Year will be determined by a panel of expert judges.
“This year’s TOTY Awards finalists are an unmatched lineup of toys, games, and professionals that represent the best of the best in the toy industry,” says Pamela Mastrota, Executive Director of The Toy Foundation. “We look forward to celebrating all of the finalists at the industry’s biggest night of the year, plus advance the industry’s collective philanthropy for the benefit of children in need.”
Visit toyawards.org to see the complete list of product category finalists and vote for your favorites through Sept. 8, or check out The Toy Book‘s 2023 TOTY Awards Issue, which also includes includes additional insights from The Toy Foundation’s Executive Director Pamela Mastrota; a look at this year’s Toy Industry Hall of Fame Inductees; an overview of the research behind award-winning toys from Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment; and TOTY-centric versions of our Pop Quiz and Flashback columns.
