NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of
global toy executives and guests gathered in New York City this evening to pay tribute to
the toy industry's best and brightest toys, games and individuals
at the 16th Annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards and Toy
Industry Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Hosted by the U.S. Toy Industry Association (TIA) in support of
the philanthropic work of the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF), the
"Oscars" of the toy industry were held at the American Museum of
Natural History, serving as the official kick off to the
113th North American International Toy Fair.
Doc McStuffins Pet Vet Checkup Center, Just Play's station where kids can pretend to
take care and play with their pet friends and animals got its
scripts for overall "Toy of the Year" award prize and the
"Preschool Toy of the Year." Already inspiring the next
generation of chefs, KidKraft LLC's Uptown Espresso Kitchen
successfully tapped in to the culinary market and was served the
"People's Choice" award for gaining the most online votes from
consumers. [SEE FULL LIST OF CATEGORY WINNERS BELOW]
"From toys that can inspire kid's careers choices, to ones that
their boost creativity and confidence, the 2016 TOTY winners have
provided children with countless hours of fun, challenges and
learning – benefits that last a lifetime," said Steve Pasierb, TIA President & CEO. "We
congratulate Just Play, KidKraft and the winners across all 12
categories for their innovation and success in the marketplace –
and for enhancing children's experiences through play!"
Interspersed with the awards presentation was a special tribute
to the Toy Industry Foundation, which contributed brand-new toys to
more than 1 million children in 2015 alone. The event also marked
the induction of Bob Iger, Chairman
and CEO of the Walt Disney Company, into the Toy Industry Hall of
Fame. Mr. Iger joins a distinguished roster of dozens of luminaries
who have been inducted into the Hall since its establishment in
1985.
TOTY Award winners were selected with the input of consumers (on
ToyAwards.org), retailers (mass and specialty), media and members
of the toy industry. The five ballots were weighted and used to
determine the category winners, with the exception of the "People's
Choice" award, which was selected exclusively by consumers.
And the winners are…
- Recognizing an outstanding toy that inspires creative play
through various forms of activity, the Activity Toy of the
Year was presented to Bunchems (Spin Master
Corp.)
- Recognizing an outstanding toy developed for boys of any age,
the Boy Toy of the Year was presented to LEGO® Star Wars:
The Force Awakens Millenium Falcon (The LEGO Group)
- Recognizing an app-cessory or other physical toy that interacts
with a smartphone, tablet or gaming device, the e-Connected Toy
of the Year was presented to Disney Infinity 3.0
Edition (Disney)
- Recognizing an outstanding toy that helps children develop
special skills and knowledge through play, the Educational Toy
of the Year was presented to Vex Robotics Robotic
Arm (Hexbug)
- Recognizing an outstanding children's board, card, CD-ROM or
electronic game, the Game of the Year was presented to
Pie Face Game (Hasbro, Inc.)
- Recognizing an outstanding toy developed for girls of any age,
the Girl Toy of the Year was presented to Shopkins™
Scoops Ice Cream Truck (Moose Toys)
- Recognizing an outstanding toy developed for infants and
toddlers up to 36 months, the Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year
was presented to Bright Beats Dance & Move BeatBo
(Fisher-Price)
- Recognizing an outstanding toy that combines innovation and
play value, the Innovative Toy of the Year was presented to
Meccanoid G15 (Spin Master Corp.)
- Recognizing an outstanding toy that is designed for outdoor
play, the Outdoor Toy of the Year was presented
to Razor GFD Fury (Razor USA LLC)
- Recognizing an outstanding toy developed for preschool-aged
children (ages 3-5), the Preschool Toy of the Year was
presented to Doc McStuffins Pet Vet Checkup Center
(Just Play)
- Recognizing a property that has had the greatest success
spreading its brand throughout the industry, the Property of the
Year was presented to Star Wars (Disney / Lucasfilm
Licensing)
- Recognizing an outstanding toy that is distributed primarily
through specialty toy retailers, the Specialty Toy of the
Year was presented to Tumble Trax™ Magnetic Marble Run
(Learning Resources)
- The overall Toy of the Year was presented to Doc
McStuffins Pet Vet Checkup Center (Just Play)
- As voted exclusively by consumers, the People's Choice
Award was presented to The Uptown Espresso Kitchen
(KidKraft LLC)
Descriptions of all TOTY finalists can be found online at
ToyAwards.org. The nominees were carefully selected by committees
of academics, journalists, retailers, and more who considered 700
submitted products and properties.
Event sponsors for the evening were: Jakks Pacific (Diamond);
Fat Brain Toys, Playmates, Vtech (Gold); Coyne PR, Dallas Market
Center (Silver); Educational Insights, GES, Gourvitz
Communications, The Halo Group, Keller Heckman, Learning Resources,
Micro Kickboard, TekConn, Thames and Kosmos, Uncle Milton, Women in
Toys, Wooky Entertainment, WowWee (Bronze).
About the Toy Industry Association (TIA)
TIA is the
not-for-profit trade association representing all businesses
involved in creating and delivering toys and youth entertainment
products for kids of all ages. TIA is the owner and operator of the
North American International Toy Fair, held annually in
New York City. The Association
serves as the industry's voice on the cognitive, social, emotional
and creative benefits of play, and promotes play's positive impact
on childhood development to consumers and media. TIA has a long
history of leadership in toy safety, having helped develop the
first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 40 years ago, and
remains committed to working with medical experts, government,
consumers and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun
play. For more information, please visit
www.toyassociation.org, www.toyfairny.com, or
www.thegeniusofplay.org.
About the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF)
(www.toyindustryfoundation.org)
The Toy Industry Foundation brings the joy of play to children in
need through core programs including The Toy Bank™ and grants to
organizations with like-minded missions. The Toy Bank receives
donations of newly manufactured toys from members of the toy
industry and distributes them through local charities to
underserved, at-risk and homeless children throughout the United States and around the world.
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SOURCE Toy Industry Association