2023 Toy of the Year® Awards Debut 6 New Categories

toy-of-the-year-logoMay 9, 2023 | The 24th edition of The Toy Foundation™’s Toy of the Year® (TOTY®) Awards, taking place September 29 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City, will feature six new people- and campaign-based award categories for the first time.

In addition to submitting their top products and properties across 17 categories of play, toy companies will have the opportunity to submit the achievements of an exceptional team member or outcomes of an initiative with four new categories focused on people and two new categories focused on campaigns. The new categories are as follows:

Campaign-Focused Categories

  • Marketing Campaign of the Year (recognizing the best marketing campaign that captured the attention of its target audience and drove sales) and
  • Corporate Social Responsibility Campaign of the Year (recognizing a program that demonstrates a commitment to corporate social responsibility, either through charitable causes, environmental sustainability, or fostering DEI within the toy industry).

People-Focused Categories

  • Champion of Sustainability (recognizing an individual who has made outstanding environmentally-friendly programs and contributions to create a better future for the toy industry);
  • Champion of Diversity & Inclusion (recognizing an individual who has shown a strong commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable industry);
  • Packaging Designer of the Year (recognizing an individual who has demonstrated exceptional creativity in designing packaging for toys); and
  • PR/Marketer of the Year (recognizing an individual who has achieved outstanding results in promoting toys to consumers).

“The six new TOTY categories add extra elements of excitement and anticipation for the prestigious event, demonstrating a commitment to recognizing the exceptional individuals and initiatives that play a vital role in driving growth and innovation,” said Adrienne Appell, executive vice president of marketing communications at The Toy Association. “We look forward to celebrating the outstanding achievements of all nominees and winners at the TOTY Awards.”

Nominations for the 2023 awards program open May 30, giving toy companies, inventors, and other industry representatives an opportunity to call themselves the “best of the best.” More information about the nomination criteria and details about submitting a nomination for the TOTY Awards will be available soon.

The TOTY Awards celebrate the creativity and philanthropy of the toy community and are The Toy Foundation’s premier fundraising event for which all proceeds, including nomination fees, support the Foundation’s impactful work to deliver the extraordinary benefits of play to children in need. The TOTY event on September 29 will kick off the global toy industry’s much-anticipated week at Toy Fair® (September 30 to October 3 at the Javits Center).

To reserve tickets or discuss sponsorship opportunities, contact The Toy Foundation team. For award nomination inquiries, contact toty@toyfoundation.org.

To learn more about The Toy Foundation, visit ToyFoundation.org.