TOTY 2020: Nominations Open This Thursday, August 1

July 30, 2019 | Could your toy or game win a coveted “Toy of the Year” award? The Toy Association is inviting companies to nominate their top toys, games, and licensed properties for the 2020 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards. Administered by the Association, the awards program supports the philanthropic work of The Toy Foundation, which delivers new toys to children in need.

Here’s what you need to know about the nomination process:  

  • Nominations will open Thursday, August 1 and close Thursday, September 19.
  • Toy companies, inventors, and other industry representatives may submit their products for consideration across 16 TOTY categories via the nomination form that will be available at TOTYAwards.org.
  • This year a new STEM/STEAM Toy of the Year category is being introduced to recognize toys that encourage kids to develop skills (foundational or curricular) in the core disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
  • Finalists will be revealed November 11. At that time, voting will open for retailers, media, Toy Association members, and consumers (at ToyAwards.org) through January 5, 2020.
  • One winner in 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 21, 2020 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City.

The TOTY Awards gala will kick off Toy Fair New York with a celebration honoring 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.

“We are thrilled to once again launch our annual Toy of the Year awards program; once the nominations are in, the toy community waits with great anticipation to find out who the category finalists and eventual winners are,” said Ken Seiter, executive vice president of marketing communications at The Toy Association. “Toymakers put their heart and passion into the playthings they develop. The TOTYs honor that passion, creativity, and the industry’s accomplishments, while also providing a critical fundraiser for The Toy Foundation, which puts smiles on the faces of kids in need all year long.”

For the full list of TOTY categories and for more information, visit the TOTY website or email toty@toyassociation.org.