Toy Industry "Oscars®" Recognize the Most Outstanding Toys and Games of the Year

NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of global toy executives and guests gathered in New York City this evening to pay tribute to the toy industry's best and brightest toys, games and individuals at the 15^th Annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards and Toy Industry Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Hosted by the U.S. Toy Industry Association (TIA) in support of the philanthropic work of the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF), the "Oscars" of the toy industry were held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, serving as the official kick off to the 112^th North American International Toy Fair.

ZOOMER DINO™, Spin Master's innovative "pet" dinosaur that kids can train to sit, speak and react to commands, took home the overall "Toy of the Year" award prize and was named "Boy Toy of the Year."  Crayola's Paint Maker, a customizable arts & crafts kit, snagged the admirable "People's Choice" award for gaining the most online votes from consumers and was also named "Activity Toy of the Year." [SEE FULL LIST OF CATEGORY WINNERS BELOW]

"From artistic toys that promote creativity to awe-inspiring tech toys, this year's TOTY winners have provided children with countless hours of magic, discovery and learning," said Carter Keithley, TIA President & CEO. "We congratulate Spin Master, Crayola and the winners across all 12 categories for their achievements this evening – and for their commitment to providing children with enriching experiences through play!"

Interspersed with the awards presentation was a special tribute to the Toy Industry Foundation, which brought brand-new toys to more than five million children in need in 2014 alone. The event also welcomed the induction of two individuals into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame: Pat Feely, Former Chairman, Toy Industry Foundation and Retired CEO of Radica Games Ltd., and Leslie Berger, Founder, Cardinal Industries, Inc. These new inductees join a distinguished roster of dozens of luminaries who have been inducted into the Hall since its establishment in 1985.

TOTY Award winners were selected with the input of consumers (on ToyAwards.org), retailers (mass and specialty), media and members of the toy industry. The five ballots were weighted and used to determine the category winners, with the exception of the "People's Choice" award, which was selected exclusively by consumers.

And the winners are…

• Recognizing an outstanding toy that inspires creative play through various forms of activity, the Activity Toy of the Year was presented to Crayola Paint Maker (Crayola)
• Recognizing an outstanding toy developed for boys of any age, the Boy Toy of the Year was presented to ZOOMER DINO™ (Spin Master)
• Recognizing an app-cessory or other physical toy that interacts with a smartphone, tablet or gaming device, the e-Connected Toy of the Year was presented to LEGO® FUSION (LEGO Systems, Inc.)
• Recognizing an outstanding toy that helps children develop special skills and knowledge through play, the Educational Toy of the Year was presented to LEGO® Technic (LEGO Systems, Inc.)
• Recognizing an outstanding children's board, card, CD-ROM or electronic game, the Game of the Year was presented to Simon Swipe™ (Hasbro, Inc.)
• Recognizing an outstanding toy developed for girls of any age, the Girl Toy of the Year was presented to Shopkins™ Small Mart Playset (Moose Toys)
• Recognizing an outstanding toy developed for infants and toddlers up to 36 months, the Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year was presented to Go! Go! Smart Animals™ Zoo Explorers Playset™ (VTech®)
• Recognizing an outstanding toy that combines innovation and play value, the Innovative Toy of the Year was presented to MiP ™ (WowWee)
• Recognizing an outstanding toy that is designed for outdoor play, the Outdoor Toy of the Year was presented to Nerf Rebelle Dolphina Bow (Hasbro, Inc.)
• Recognizing an outstanding toy developed for preschool-aged children (ages 3-5), the Preschool Toy of the Year was presented to LEGO® Juniors (LEGO Systems, Inc.)
• Recognizing a property that has had the greatest success spreading its brand throughout the industry, the Property of the Year was presented to Disney's Frozen (The Walt Disney Company)
• Recognizing an outstanding toy that is distributed primarily through specialty toy retailers, the Specialty Toy of the Year was presented to Gravity Maze™ (ThinkFun, Inc.)

Descriptions of all TOTY finalists can be found online at ToyAwards.org. The nominees were carefully selected by committees of academics, journalists, retailers, and more who considered 580 submitted products and properties.

Event sponsors for the evening were: Just Play (Platinum); Spin Master, Playmates, Fat Brain Toys, York Jersey Underwriters (Gold); Coyne PR, Dallas Market Center (Silver); International Playthings, Gourvitz Communications, Educational Insights, Keller Heckman, GES, Tek Conn, WowWee, Uncle Milton, School Zone Publishing, Leapfrog, Fuchs Schulman, Women in Toys (Bronze); and York and Chapel (Friend).

About the Toy Industry Association (TIA) (www.toyassociation.org)
TIA is the not-for-profit trade association representing all businesses involved in creating and delivering toys and youth entertainment products for kids of all ages, representing more than 750 companies who account for approximately 90% of domestic toy sales. Toy safety is the number one priority for the toy industry. TIA has a long history of leadership in toy safety and works with government, consumers and industry on ongoing programs to ensure safe and fun play.

About the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) (www.toyindustryfoundation.org)
The Toy Industry Foundation brings the joy of play to children in need through core programs including The Toy Bank™ and grants to organizations with like-minded missions. The Toy Bank receives donations of newly manufactured toys from members of the toy industry and distributes them through local charities to underserved, at-risk and homeless children throughout the United States and around the world.

SOURCE Toy Industry Association

Related Links

http://www.totyawards.org