People of Play has just announced the finalists for the 17th annual Toys and Games International Awards for Excellence (TAGIE).
This year’s TAGIE will be held on November 8, 2024 at Joe’s Live in Rosemont, Illinois, with the theme “Toys Travel Through Time” and will recognize winners in nine categories. Additionally, the event will honor Mary Danby and Dan Romanelli as Lifetime Achievement Recipients, and Alan Dorfman as an Industry Game Changer.
We’re excited to kick off the holidays by celebrating the innovators who inspire us, are the driving force in the toy industry, and whose creativity and passion inspire us every day. TAGIE is our opportunity to celebrate these outstanding achievements. Be sure to mark your calendar!
— Karri Bean, TAGIE Awards presenter and senior licensing manager, Disney Consumer Products, Experiences and Consumer Products
Public voting will begin at this location on September 25.
The nominees are…
Toy Innovator of the Year
- Jim McCafferty of JMP Creative teams up with Josh Loerzel and Lev Nelson of Sky Castle Toys to create Sticki Rolls from Sky Castle Toys
- KidToyology’s Peter Wachtel and Jazwares for Batter Batter Fetch
- Liran Ganor and Yigal Liven design for Hasbro’s Nerf Better Than Balloons
- Made Real Design’s Ciaran Larkin designs Hasbro’s Spider-Man Real Webs Ultimate Web Blaster
- Hasbro Hydro Pod’s Seven Towns Team
- David Yakos of Streamline Design designs for Thames & Kosmos pinball machine manufacturer Gumball Rally
- Consider Blue Marble’s Ste Smith’s line of motorized models for National Geographic magazine
- The Wild Republic of Earthlings
- Yair Shilo and Nextoy build Goliath’s power sword
- Stephen Fazio and Austin Hillam of ZipString and Robert Yusim of ZipString Product Consultant
Game Innovator of the Year
- April Mitchell has worked on Foxmind’s Slanguage (co-designer Ed Gartin), John Adam’s Am I a Dirtbag (co-designer Carine Rosalia), MoCo Games’ Danger Hugs (co-designer Serena Fadlun), Hootenanny Games’ Exciting Game (co-design Ed Gartin), Martinex’s FormWorms, and BamzBall.
- Bang Zoom Design and the Moose Games design team present surprise gift sets for Moose Games’ Pickleball Blast and Mattel’s Barbie Pop Reveal Rise and Mattel Toy Team
- BlueMatter Games’ Rebecca Beau and Nicholas Cravotta, Identity Games’ JM Duparc and Buffalo Games create Identity Games’ medical mystery
- Scrabble game created for Mattel by Kim Vandenbroucke of Brainy Chick Inc.
- Disney’s Alex Wilde Designs Star Wars Electronic Dejarik Board Game
- Gray Matters Games’ Joe Barron, Sophia Ricciardi and Alena Lyons team up with creators Brady Peterson, Tim Swindle, SIO Games, Danielle Standring and Grant Lyon to create Slip It In and The Donut Challenge
- KID Group’s Dan Klistner, Brian Clemens, and Gary Levenberg designed KID’s Sling It and Spin Master’s Snackasaurus Rex
- Hitster: Musical Party Game by Marcus Carleson for Jumbo Group
- Peggy Brown Creative and Moose Games Design Team for Moose Games’ Wildflower
- Streamline Design’s David Yakos and West Paw’s Spencer Williams team up to create West Paw’s Doggy Best Friend Game
Annual Innovation Star
- Brad Owen teams up with Fat Brain’s Mark Carson for Fat Brain’s Air Toobz
- Disney Song Garden for Mattel American Girl Disney Princess 18-inch Doll
- Escape from Goliath Psycho Killer Game Board Game
- Hasbro’s Ava Garfinkel for Monopoly Go! board game
- Hasbro’s Maja Elliott acquires license for Lego Duplo’s Peppa Pig construction toys
- Hasbro’s Samuel Howes Peppa’s Dance Party Live Tour and PEPPA PIG Amazon Brand Store (US, UK & DE)
- Frank (Rongzhi) Cui from Henry’s Toy Box for KidsCleanCar
- Keith Chan of Spin Master is responsible for the 4D build
- Tectonic Toy’s Eric Jacoby designs a line of unique toys
- Culturorama’s Kusuma Reddy empowers rural artisans
Most Innovative PR and Marketing Team of the Year
- Hasbro’s Sarah Madey, Jennifer Boswinkel, Keeley Tobin, Heather Burns, Tori Helm, Kim Ferry, Ally Simpson, Shara Dube, Amanda Roy, Stacey Forgang, Caleigh Crocker, Marissa Toselli, Lauren Stanley, Jen Burch on Monopoly Events, All’s Fair Kristin Tull, Jesse Murphy, Julia Eisler, Amanda DiSanto and Anne-Marie Horn
- Hasbro’s Paul Strickland, Rosalie Rubenstein, Julia Eisler, Jess Murphy, Patrick O’Rourke, Krystal Sekula, Stacey Forgang, Caleigh Crocker, Jen Burch, Kristen Toole, Lauren Haxell, Ashley Mule and Ally Pizzi participate in FMK board game event
- Hasbro’s Furby PR and marketing team, led by Holly Myhre, is responsible for the Furby launch event
- Hey Buddy Hey Pal and Freeman PR for PEEPS® EggMazing Egg Decorator
- The LEGO and Disney Spark Joy campaign is a joint effort between the LEGO Global PMD Team, Disney Global Franchise Team, Disney Global Marketing and LEGO Creative Agency
- Moose Games’ Pickleball Blast PR and Marketing team is led by Laura Daroca and Dana Moncrief
- PLAYMOBIL and Freeman on PR for PLAYMOBIL Large Pirate Ship
- Spin Master Rubik’s 50th Anniversary Edition Rubik’s Marketing Team: Sam Susz, Thompson Clarke, Kurtis Wong and Megan Thomas
- Schleich’s Share Your Story campaign with Litzky PR in collaboration with Schleich’s Kelli Masilun, Scott Hepburn, Elisha Jernigan and Karen Broome
- Lev Nelson and Josh Loerzel of Sky Castle Toys team up with Freeman PR for Sticki Rolls
The most innovative art and design visuals of the year
- Abacus Brand’s Steve Rad created the DK VR world art!
- Angela Achtner, Nicole Vena and the Canal Toys global team create airbrushed plush neon unicorns
- Wildflower by Brady Lang and Brittney Hassinger for Moose Games
- The EXG Pro Digiplates team is dedicated to creating collectible metal Digiplates
- Hasbro’s Scot Getchonis lives in Reterra
- Katarzyna Bekus, Sandra Chlewińska, Weronika Kozyra and Kate “Ves” Vesner of Incredible Dream Studios Redesiuk for Kinfire Delve: Vainglory’s Grotto
- Photo by Lars Besten for Zookini
- Alex Mackey and Mike Szalajko of Lethal Chicken Games create Little Pig for Little Pig
- Streamline Design’s David Yakos and West Paw’s Spencer Williams create Dog’s Best Friend game
- Kelsie Swift of ST8MNT Brand Agency Represents Hootenanny Games’ SIXEM, Floats McGoats, Snarkas and SIXEM Sour Patch Kids
Most Innovative Supplier of the Year
- Barry and Jason Games and Entertainment
- Design advantages
- Always inspire creativity
- product consultant
- sweet spot studio
- creative folding
- game craftsman
- White Castle Gaming Agency
Most Innovative Retailer of the Year
- Written by Amy Saldanha for Kiddywampus
- Photo by Dawn Dawson for Learning Express Glen Ellyn
- Elizabeth Whitelam Published for Whitelam Books
- Francis Hull’s Hometown Comics & Games
- Hillary Key to Toy Box
- Designed by Jody Everett for Beanbag Books
- Tools 4 Teaching by Julie Burczyk
- “The Treasure of Naperville” by Michael Kristula
- Learning Express Toys by Rick Derr
- Theresa Duncan for Villa Villekulla toys
Most Innovative License of the Year
- BBC Studios and Bluey’s Moose Toy
- Disney and Spin Master Bitzee Brand Team
- Disney Lorcana and Ravensburg’s Terrell Gentry, Brian Godlewski, Emily Colon, Alex Maher, Adam Reed, Sean Chichido and Kat En Nichols
- Newborn quality candy and hey man hey friend
- Mattel’s Alena Niu Celebrates Polly Pocket’s 35th Anniversary
- Mr. Beast and the Moose Toy
- NFL and Mattel’s UNO Team: Ray Adler, Brian Yu, Nick Hayes and Aaron Weil
- Panini, NBA and Hasbro’s Dave Moccia, Richard Sands, Alex Forti, Sam Weiser, Kim Ferry, Ally Simpson, Missy Miceli, Mel Soares, Sara Walsh, Rosalie Rubenstein, Heather Burns, Tori Helm and Adam Winzens
- Antoine Bauza, Corentin Lebrat, Ludovic Maublanc and Théo Rivière of Smurfs and Maestro Media
- Sour Patch Kids and Hootenanny games
Young Innovator of the Year (under 18 years old)
- Liam Clift, Bad Pipes: Balancing the Game
- Evelyn H. for EcoFrenzy
Tickets for the 17th Annual TAGIES are available here.
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