The Toy Foundation™ Reveals the 2023 Toy of the Year® Awards Finalists
The Toy Foundation’s (TTF) mission is to provide philanthropic support and the vital commodity of play to children and families under stress and in dire situations, across the country and globe.
toyfoundation.org
An animated game to create movie magic, an activity table to drop musical "beets," and an 8-foot inflatable obstacle course to spark endless outdoor fun are among the inventive finalists for the prestigious
Toy of the Year® (TOTY®) Awards. Today,
The Toy Foundation™ (TTF) announced the top 122 toys, games, and properties across 17 product categories (listed below) that are advancing the world of play.
Consumers are invited to visit ToyAwards.org to see the complete list of product category finalists and vote for their favorites to help determine the category winners through September 8.
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 toy 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 on September 29 in New York City. As the kickoff to Toy Fair®, the TOTY Awards are the biggest night of the year for toys, where the industry gathers to recognize innovation across every category of play. The night is also the ultimate fundraiser to support TTF’s work delivering the extraordinary benefits of play to children in need around the world.
The Toy of the Year and People’s Choice winners will be announced on November 20, in time to create peak holiday shopping buzz. Voting for the People’s Choice Award, uniquely decided by online consumer votes will remain open through November 10. The Toy of the Year will be determined by a panel of expert judges.
New for the TOTY Awards, the achievements of industry trailblazers and outstanding initiatives will be celebrated across four people-focused and two campaign-focused categories. Twenty-seven professionals are recognized as finalists for uniquely advancing the toy industry across sustainability; diversity, equity, and inclusion; packaging design; and PR/marketing. 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.
“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,” said 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.”
TTF aims to be the uniting force for the collective philanthropy of the toy industry for the benefit of all children in need. In 2022, the industry’s support helped TTF reach more than 925,000 children and all proceeds generated from the TOTY Awards will help TTF impact even more children through the distribution of toys through The Toy Bank℠, support of play therapy programs in children’s hospitals, and development of the next generation of diverse talent for the industry.