Toy Industry Hall of Fame: 2019 Nominations Now Open

May 15, 2018 | It’s that time of year again, when the toy community is invited to submit their nominees for The Toy Association’s Toy Industry Hall of Fame – the highest honor bestowed upon individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the toy industry throughout their careers. Nomination forms may be completed online through June 29, 2018. 

Consideration for the Toy Industry Hall of Fame is open to individuals, living or deceased, including notable toy company leaders, retailers, inventors, designers, and marketers. Candidates must have a long track record of success in the toy industry and must have played a prominent role in promoting public awareness of the importance of toys in the lives of children and/or promoted the toy industry as a significant and responsible member of the business community.

Candidates may be nominated by any stakeholder in the toy industry (membership in The Toy Association is not required); voting to select the 2019 inductees is restricted to members only. Detailed nomination criteria and information about the selection process can be found on The Toy Association website.

The Toy Industry Hall of Fame Committee will meet in July to review the nominations received and to propose a slate of candidates for consideration via a ballot. The ballot will be distributed to all Toy Association members in late summer.

The Toy Industry Hall of Fame was established in 1984, and every year since, members of the industry have proudly nominated hundreds of men and women who have made their mark on the industry and created a love of play in the hearts of children of all ages.

Past inductees include George Lucas of Lucasfilm (2007), Jill Barad, chairman and CEO of Mattel (2014), Frederick August Otto Schwarz, founder of FAO Schwarz (2012), and Robert A. Iger, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company (2016). The Hall of Fame welcomed Andrea Barthello, co-founder of ThinkFun, and James Becker, founder and past president of Anjar Co., as its 2018 inductees.  

The inductees will be honored at the annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards on Friday, February 15, 2019 in New York City.

Questions about the Toy Industry Hall of Fame may be directed to Akshata Hase, marketing communications coordinator at The Toy Association.