FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Adrienne Appell
Toy Industry Association
Office: 646.520.4863
Mobile: 646.207.3724
aappell@toyassociation.org
Toy Industry Pays Tribute to the Best in Toys and Games at TOTY Awards
Celebration
The Sing-a-ma-jigs!™ from Mattel Inc.
Takes Home Top Honors
New York, NY | February 12, 2011 – Hundreds of
toy industry executives gathered to honor their peers tonight at the
11th Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards program and Hall of Fame induction
ceremony.
A Toy Industry Association, Inc. (TIA)-administered event in support
of the Toy Industry Foundation, the gala served as the kick-off to
the 108th
American International Toy Fair. Held in The Allen Room at New
York City’s Jazz at Lincoln Center, the evening paid tribute to
the best in toys and children’s entertainment and the outstanding
achievements made by individuals and companies.
 Interspersed with presentations of the TOTY Awards were two inductions
to the Toy Industry Hall of Fame. Established in 1984, the Hall of
Fame honors individuals who have made a significant mark on the toy
industry. Joining the more than 55 people already on the
distinguished roster are Al Verrecchia, Chairman of the Board of
Directors, Hasbro, Inc. and the late Donald Duncan, Founder of Duncan
Toys Company. Their biographies can be viewed on the Toy Industry Hall of Fame
website.“Tonight’s event was a wonderful way to launch
Toy Fair 2011,” said Carter Keithley, TIA president. “The
TOTY Awards is a great place for colleagues to gather in celebration of
the creativity and playful spirit upon which the toy industry is
based.”
For the first time in TOTY history, consumers were invited to vote
for their favorite toys; nearly 12,500 unique votes were cast by
families at ToyAwards.org from mid-November 2010 through mid-January,
2011. Along with the consumer ballot, four other ballots determined the
winners: retailers (mass and specialty), media and members of the toy
industry.
 The
Sing-a-ma-jigs!™ by Mattel Inc. received the coveted
“Toy of the Year” title and was awarded
Preschool Toy of the Year and Innovative Toy of
the Year. The awards program included 11 categories with
70 finalists.
Recognizing an outstanding toy that inspires creative play through
various forms of activity, the Activity Toy of the Year
was presented to Crayola Color Wonder Sound Studio™ by
Crayola, LLC.
Recognizing an outstanding toy developed for boys of any age, the
Boy Toy of the Year was presented to NERF N-Strike Stampede ECS Blaster by
Hasbro, Inc.
Recognizing an outstanding toy that helps children develop special
skills and knowledge through play, the Educational Toy of the
Year was presented to Leapster
Explorer™ Learning Experience by
LeapFrog.
Recognizing an outstanding children’s board, card, CD-ROM or
electronic game, the Game of the Year was presented
to Scrabble Flash by Hasbro,
Inc.
Recognizing an outstanding toy developed for girls of any age, the
Girl Toy of the Year was presented to Squinkies™
Cupcake Surprize! Bake Shop by Blip®
Toys.
Recognizing an outstanding toy developed for infants and toddlers up
to 36 months, the Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year was
presented to My Own Leaptop by
LeapFrog.
Recognizing an outstanding toy that combines innovation and play
value, the Innovative Toy of the Year was presented
to The Sing-a-ma-jigs!™ by Mattel,
Inc.
Recognizing an outstanding toy that is designed for outdoor play, the
Outdoor Toy of the Year was presented to NERF Super Soaker Shot Blast by Hasbro,
Inc.
Recognizing an outstanding toy developed for preschool-aged children
(ages 3-5) the Preschool Toy of the Year was presented
to The Sing-a-ma-jigs!™ by Mattel,
Inc.
Recognizing a property that has had the greatest success spreading
its brand throughout the industry, Property of the Year
was presented to Toy Story 3 by Disney Consumer
Products.
Recognizing an outstanding toy that is distributed primarily through
specialty toy retailers, the Specialty Toy of the Year
was presented to HEXBUG® Nano Habitat Set by
Innovation First Labs, Inc.
A record 500+ toys, games and properties were submitted for
consideration. The finalists were selected by Nomination
Committees – one for each category – comprised of
high-stature experts such as journalists, toy trend experts, play
therapists, toy inventors and designers and toy retailers. Descriptions
of each TOTY-nominated toy and links to each manufacturer’s
website can be found online at ToyAwards.org.
The TOTY Awards is a TIA-administered event in support of the Toy
Industry Foundation. Event sponsors for the evening were Spin Master
(gold level), Colorforms and Dallas Market Center (silver level), and
Locker, Greenberg & Brainin P.C. (friends level).
|
