Each product nomination must include a brief (50 word) product description AND a statement (up to 100 words) explaining to the nomination committee why the product is deserving of recognition on the TOTY Awards ballot. Consideration will be given to:
Finalists Selection
Finalists will be selected by a panel of 20-25 judges comprised of industry experts including toy specialists, journalists, and retailers.
The judges will receive all the nominations submitted for review and will rank the nominations on a scale of 1-5 on the following criteria:
- Creativity and Originality
- Design and Quality
- Play Value
Following the online evaluation, the judges will meet for an in-person session to discuss and decide the TOTY finalists for each category. The selection of finalists will be based on both the data and personal statements provided in the nomination materials.
No brand will be allowed to have more than one (1) finalist in a single category. Companies can still have up to two (2) finalists, as long as they are not the same brand.
Each product selected as a finalist will be featured on ToyAwards.org.
TOTY Finalist Seals will be available for purchase by the finalists when they are announced on August 15, 2022. TOTY Finalist Seals are to be used exclusively and only for the marketing & promotions of TOTY Finalist products (product packaging, e-commerce, and social media).
Toy of the Year Voting
For the individual product and property categories, the ballots are weighted as follows: Toy Association members* (30%), retailers (30%), media* (30%), and consumers (10%).
*Toy Association members and media will be allowed only one vote per company.