Toy Industry Hall of Fame: 2021 Nominations Now Open

May 4, 2020 | The toy and play community is invited to submit nominees for induction into The Toy Association’s Toy Industry Hall of Fame. Nominations may be submitted online through June 12, 2020.

Consideration for the Toy Industry Hall of Fame is open to individuals, living or deceased, who have made outstanding contributions and/or provided impactful service to the toy industry and The Toy Association throughout their careers.

If a candidate was nominated for induction in 2020 but was not selected, the nomination will carry forward for one additional year. Carried over candidates do not require re-nomination. To see the list of candidates that will automatically be carried over in 2021, click here.

Candidates may be nominated by any stakeholder in the toy industry (membership in The Toy Association is not required); however, voting to select the 2021 inductees is restricted to members only. Additional nomination criteria and information about the selection process can be found on The Toy Association website.

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 Milton Bradley, Joan Ganz Cooney, Walt Disney, Ruth Handler, Jim Henson, and Stan Lee. Hall of Fame inductees for 2020 included Thomas Chan, founder & CEO of Playmates Toys; Thomas Murdough, Jr., founder of Little Tikes, Step2, and Simplay3; and the late Harry Kislevitz, founder of Colorforms Corporation.

The 2021 inductees will be honored at the annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards on Friday, February 12, 2021 in New York City.

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