TOTY 2021: Submit Your Nominations for the “Oscars” of the Toy Industry

toty-2021July 20, 2020 | Nominations for The Toy Association’s 2021 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards opened last week and submissions are already rolling in.

Is your toy or game a TOTY contender? Here’s what you need to know about the nomination process:

  • Nominations are now open through Wednesday, September 2.

  • Toy companies, inventors, and other industry representatives may submit their products and properties for consideration across 16 TOTY categories via the nomination form on TOTYAwards.org.

  • A committee comprised of play experts, journalists, academics, retailers, and other toy experts will determine the official TOTY 2021 finalists based on each product’s creativity and originality; design and quality; play value; marketing and promotion; and sales and marketplace acceptance.

  • Finalists will be revealed the week of October 26. Voting will then open to retailers, media, and Toy Association members through January 5, 2021. Consumers will also be able to vote on ToyAwards.org.

  • A winner for each category, as well as the “People’s Choice” award (based solely on consumer votes) and the prestigious overall “Toy of the Year” winner (chosen by a panel of experts), will be announced at the TOTY Awards ceremony on Friday, February 12, 2021.

The TOTY Awards celebrates the most outstanding new toy products to hit the marketplace, the industry icons being inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame, and the inspiring work of The Toy Foundation.

“The TOTY Awards program continues to celebrate the passion, creativity, and drive of the toy and play community, while also serving as a critical fundraiser for the work of The Toy Foundation,” said Ken Seiter, executive vice president of marketing communications at The Toy Association. “We could not be prouder to honor those putting their heart and soul into products and brands that offer kids some much-needed comfort and entertainment this year.”

The TOTY awards program supports the philanthropic work of The Toy Foundation, which delivers new toys to children in underserved communities.

For more information on the nomination and selection process, visit the TOTY website or email toty@toyassociation.org.