People of Play Reveals Finalists for 17th Annual TAGIE Awards

People of Play just dropped the curtain on the finalists for the 17th annual Toy & Game International Excellence (TAGIE) Awards.

Set to take place on November 8, 2024 at Joe’s Live in Rosemont, Illinois, this year’s TAGIEs follows a “Toys Through Time” theme and will honor winners across nine categories. Additionally, the event will honor Mary Danby and Dan Romanelli as the Lifetime Achievement recipients and Alan Dorfman as the Industry Game Changer.

We’re excited to kick off the holiday season by celebrating the innovators who inspire us and are the driving force of the toy industry whose creativity and passion motivate us every day. The TAGIEs are our opportunity to celebrate these outstanding achievements. Be sure to mark your calendars!”

— Karri Bean, TAGIE Awards Host and Senior Licensing Manager, at Disney Consumer Products, Experiences & Consumer Products

Public voting begins Sept. 25 at this location.

And the nominees are…

TOY INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

• JMP Creative’s Jim McCafferty and Sky Castle Toys’ Josh Loerzel and Lev Nelson for Sky Castle Toys’ Sticki Rolls
• KidToyology’s Peter Wachtel and Jazwares for Batter Batter Fetch
• Liran Ganor and Yigal Liven for Hasbro’s Nerf Better Than Balloons
• Made Real Design’s Ciaran Larkin for Hasbro’s Spider-Man Real Webs Ultimate Web Blaster
• Seven Towns’ Team for Hasbro’s Hydro Pods
• Streamline Design’s David Yakos for Thames & Kosmos’s Pinball Machine Maker Gumball Rally
• Think Blue Marble’s Ste Smith for National Geographic’s Motorized Models Line
• Wild Republic for Earthkins
• Yair Shilo and Nextoy for Goliath’s Power Saber    
• ZipString’s Stephen Fazio and Austin Hillam and Product Counsel’s Robert Yusim for ZipString

GAME INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

• April Mitchell for 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-designer Ed Gartin), Martinex’s FormWorms and Life is Better Outside’s BamzBall
• Bang Zoom Design and Moose Games Design Team for Moose Games’ Pickleball Blast and for Mattel’s Barbie Pop Reveal Rise and Surprise Gift Set with Mattel Toy Team
• BlueMatter Games’ Rebecca Bleau and Nicholas Cravotta, Identity Games’ JM Duparc and Buffalo Games for Identity Games’ Medical Mysteries
• Brainy Chick Inc.’s Kim Vandenbroucke for Mattel’s Scrabble Together
• Disney’s Alex Wilde for Star Wars Electronic Dejarik Board Game
• Gray Matters Games’ Joe Barron, Sophia Ricciardi and Alena Lyons with Creators Brady Peterson, Tim Swindle, SIO Games, Danielle Standring and Grant Lyon for Slip It In and The Donut Challenge
• KID Group’s Dan Klistner, Brian Clemens, Gary Levenberg for KID’s Sling It and Spin Master’s Snackasauraus Rex  
• Marcus Carleson for Jumbo Group’s Hitster: The Music Party Game
• Peggy Brown Creative and Moose Games Design Team for Moose Games’ Wild Flowers
• Streamline Design’s David Yakos and West Paw’s Spencer Williams for West Paw’s The Dog’s Best Friend Game

RISING STAR INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

• Brad Owen with Fat Brain’s Mark Carson for Fat Brain’s Air Toobz
• Disney’s Sung Park for Mattel’s American Girl Disney Princess 18″ Dolls  
• Escape Tabletop Games for Goliath’s Psycho Killer Game
• Hasbro’s Ava Garfinkel for Monopoly Go! Board Game
• Hasbro’s Maja Elliott for Licensing Lego Duplo Peppa Pig Construction Toys
• Hasbro’s Samuel Howes Peppa’s Dance Party Live Tour and PEPPA PIG Amazon Brand Stores (U.S., U.K. and Germany)
• Henry’s Toy Box’s Frank (Rongzhi) Cui for KidsCleanCar
• Spin Master’s Keith Chan for 4D Build
• Tectonic Toy’s Eric Jacoby for a Line of Unique Toy Design
• The Culturorama’s Kusuma Reddy for Empowerment of Rural Artisans

MOST INNOVATIVE PR AND MARKETING TEAM OF THE YEAR

• All is Fair in Monopoly Campaign with 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, Kristen Toole, Jess Murphy, Julia Eisler, Amanda DiSanto and Anne Marie Horne
• FMK Board Game Campaign with 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
• Hasbro’s Furby PR and Marketing Team led by Holly Myhre for the Furby Launch Campaign
• Hey Buddy Hey Pal & Freeman Public Relations for PEEPS® EggMazing Egg Decorator
• LEGO and Disney Spark Joy Campaign by LEGO Global PMD Team, Disney Global Franchise Team, Disney Global Marketing and LEGO Creative Agency LEGO
• Moose Games’ Pickleball Blast PR and Marketing Team led by Laura Daroca and Dana Moncrief
• PLAYMOBIL & Freeman Public Relations for PLAYMOBIL Large Pirate Ship    
• Rubik’s 50th Anniversary by The Spin Master Rubik’s Marketing Team: Sam Susz, Thompson Clarke, Kurtis Wong and Megan Thomas
• Schleich’s Share Your Stories Campaign with Schleich’s Kelli Masilun, Scott Hepburn, Elisha Jernigan and Karen Broome with Litzky PR
• Sky Castle Toys’ Lev Nelson and Josh Loerzel with Freeman Public Relations for Sticki Rolls

MOST INNOVATIVE ART AND DESIGN VISUALS OF THE YEAR

• Abacus Brand’s Steve Rad for DK Virtual Reality World Art!
• Angela Achtner, Nicole Vena and Canal Toys Global Team for Airbrush Plush Neon Unicorn
• Brady Lang and Brittney Hassinger for Moose Games’ Wild Flowers
• EXG Pro Digiplates Team for Collectible Metal Digiplates
• Hasbro’s Scot Getchonis for Life in Reterra
• Incredible Dream Studios’ Katarzyna Bekus, Sandra Chlewińska, Weronika Kozyra and Kate “Ves” Vesner Redesiuk for Kinfire Delve: Vainglory’s Grotto
• Lars Besten for Zookini
• Lethal Chicken Games’ Alex Mackey and Mike Szalajko for Little Pig Little Pig
• Streamline Design’s David Yakos and West Paw’s Spencer Williams for The Dog’s Best Friend Game
• ST8MNT Brand Agency’s Kelsie Swift for Hootenanny Games’ SIXEM, Floats McGoats, Snarkas and SIXEM Sour Patch Kids

MOST INNOVATIVE SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

• Barry and Jason Games and Entertainment
• Design Edge
• Forever Stoked Creative
• Product Counsel
• Sweet Spot Studio
• The Creative Fold
• The Game Crafter
• White Castle Games Agency

MOST INNOVATIVE RETAILER OF THE YEAR

• Amy Saldanha for kiddywampus    
• Dawn Dawson for Learning Express Glen Ellyn
• Elizabeth Whitelam for Whitelam Books
• Frances Hull for Hometown Comics & Games    
• Hilary Key for The Toy Chest
• Jody Everett for Beanbag Books    
• Julie Burczyk for Tools 4 Teaching    
• Michael Kristula for Treasures Naperville
• Rick Derr for Learning Express Toys
• Theresa Duncan for Villa Villekulla Toys    

MOST INNOVATIVE LICENSE OF THE YEAR

• BBC Studios and Moose Toys for Bluey
• Disney and Spin Master Bitzee Brand Team
• Disney Lorcana and Ravensburger’s Terrell Gentry, Brian Godlewski, Emily Colon, Alex Maher, Adam Reed, Shaun Shishido and Jean Nichols
• Just Born Quality Confections and Hey Buddy Hey Pal  
• Mattel’s Alena Niu for Polly Pocket’s 35th Anniversary
• MrBeast and Moose Toys
• 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
• Smurfs and Maestro Media’s Antoine Bauza, Corentin Lebrat, Ludovic Maublanc and Théo Rivière
• Sour Patch Kids and Hootenanny Games

YOUNG INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR (under 18 years old)

• Liam Clift for Bad Plumbing: The Balance Game
• Evelyn H. for EcoFrenzy

Tickets for the 17th annual TAGIES are available for purchase here.

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