Contact:  Adrienne Citrin / Tiffany Guarnaccia
  Toy Industry Association / G. S. Schwartz Public Relations
  646.520.4863 / 212.647.4500
  acitrin@toyassociation.org / tguarnaccia@schwartz.com

Toy Industry Association Announces Call for Nominations for 2010 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards

Tenth Anniversary Festivities Includes First-Ever Consumer Website Highlighting Nominated Products

New York, NY | September 15, 2009 – The Toy Industry Association, Inc. (TIA) today began accepting nominations for the tenth anniversary presentation of the coveted Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards. 

Well-recognized as the “Oscars®” of the toy industry, the annual awards program honors creativity and innovation among toymakers and the toys, games and entertainment products they produce to thrill children of all ages.

First held in 2000, the TOTY Awards now comprise one dozen categories in addition to an overall “Toy of the Year” winner.  Infant Toy of the Year and Pre-school Toy of the Year will constitute separate categories in 2010; previously, the two were combined as one award.

TIA will also debut this fall a new website to highlight the TOTY 2010-nominated products.  Just in time for the 2009 holiday shopping season, each nominee that is selected for the TOTY ballot will be featured on a website custom-designed by TIA to highlight the products in each of the twelve categories.

“The TOTY awards showcase the most creative and innovative products across the toy industry,” said Carter Keithley, president, TIA. “On the occasion of this award program’s tenth anniversary, TIA is proud to let consumers know which products the industry itself considers to be the “best of the best” … and to make this information available just as kids are preparing their holiday wish lists.”

A new process for submitting nominations will make it easier for sponsors to highlight the outstanding features of their products while also assuring the consistency of brand messaging for consumers. 

The fee is $50 per nomination for TIA members and $100 per nomination for TIA non-members. Companies are able to nominate up to two (2) products in each of the twelve (12) categories. The “Toy of the Year” winner is selected from among the products appearing on the TOTY ballot or via a write-in vote by TIA members.  There is no separate nomination form for consideration as a Toy of the Year candidate.

Nominations are being accepted through October 23rd. The final ballot, determined by a committee of toy journalists, inventors and retailers, will be announced in early December; TIA member voting close in mid-January 2010.  Winners are announced at the TOTY 2010 banquet and ceremony on February 13, 2010 in New York City.

For more information, including this year’s nomination forms, please visit the TOTY Awards webpage.

About TIA
TIA is the not-for-profit trade association for producers and importers of toys and youth entertainment products sold in North America, representing over 500 companies who account for approximately 85% of domestic toy sales.  Safe and fun play is the number one priority for the toy industry. TIA has a long history of leadership in toy safety including development of the first comprehensive toy safety standard more than 30 years ago, and working with government, consumers and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play. 

For more information visit www.toyinfo.org or www.toycertification.org.

ACADEMY AWARD(S)®, OSCAR(S)®, OSCAR NIGHT® and OSCAR® statuette design mark are the registered trademarks and service marks, and the OSCAR® statuette the copyrighted property, of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.