Nominations for the 2023 Toy of the Year® (TOTY®) Awards are open and may be submitted online through July 7.

NominationsSubmit a nomination to be named the “best of the best” in the toy industry and place your company, leadership, and products in front of consumers ahead of the holiday shopping season! The 2023 TOTY Awards will consist of 17 product categories, plus four new categories focused on people and two new categories focused on campaigns. Find the 2023 category list here. 

Submit Today

Hundreds of submissions are received each year where only a fraction will receive the accolade of “finalist” and the most distinguished will be honored with the prestigious “winner” title.

All finalists will be: 

  • Highlighted by key media
  • Featured in a consumer-engaging influencer program (product finalists only)
  • Shared within The Toy Foundation’s social media content 
  • Included on ToyAwards.org for consumers to see and vote on (product finalists only)
  • Listed in the event’s souvenir playbill 

In addition to the above, all winners will: 

  • Join The Toy Foundation on stage at TOTY to accept their award
  • Record a video acceptance speech backstage that will be shared on The Toy Foundation’s channels and with you for internal or external use
  • Speak with key media
  • Be displayed at the entrance of Toy Fair® for thousands to see

All product category finalists and winners will also be able to purchase a signature TOTY seal to proudly use in their marketing and promotions online and in-store. People and campaign category finalists and winners will receive a TOTY badge for online use at no cost.

Nominations may be submitted by any authorized individual on behalf of the manufacturer, licensor, company, or person. Toy Association membership is not a prerequisite for submitting a nomination. Each nomination can only be submitted in one category. Duplicate nominations will not be reviewed by judges and will be disqualified.

All finalists will be revealed Monday, August 21. Voting for products and people-focused categories will open immediately and close Friday, September 8.

Questions? Contact toty@toyfoundation.org.

Product Eligibility

  • Market Availability
    All 2023 TOTY nominated products must have been introduced to the marketplace within the last two years and be available at retail in the United States on or before November 1, 2023. This can include a new version of an older product line, if the “new” product or reiteration has been introduced within the last two years.

    If submitting a crowd-funded item, the product must be fully funded by June 1, 2023 with retail availability by November 1, 2023.

  • Intellectual Property Rights & Originality
    The product manufacturer, private labeler, importer, or licensor of every product submitted for consideration for the 2023 TOTY Awards must own or have been granted permission to use all intellectual property rights. The submitted product must not infringe upon any other party and/or another party’s intellectual property rights. Court Orders involving infringement of intellectual property rights, the originality or lack or originality of a product submission will invalidate the product for TOTY consideration. A further qualification of an award can require verification at any time that the product submission is not in breach of this representation or is not subject to such Order(s).

  • Safety Reports
    If a product is selected as a 2023 TOTY finalist, the manufacturer, private labeler, or importer of record must agree to provide copies of all relevant safety test reports to The Toy Association for reference should any safety issues be called into question by regulatory or consumer groups during the fourth quarter holiday shopping season or beyond.

NEW Campaign-Focused Eligibility

Nominated campaigns must reflect results garnered within the last 12 calendar months.

NEW People-Focused Eligibility

Nominated people must reflect accomplishments achieved within the last 12 calendar months.

Product Nominations

Each product nomination must include key product information and a brief product description. Consideration will be given to:

  • Creativity and Originality
  • Design and Quality
  • Play Value

No product samples are required with the submission form. If a product is selected as a finalist, the nominator will be contacted for product samples.

NEW Campaign-Focused Nominations

Each campaign-focused nomination must include a description of how the campaign or initiative impacted business, broadened reach, and created value.

NEW People-Focused Nominations

Each people-focused nomination must include a description of the nominee’s experience, contributions, and success related to the specific category for which they are nominated.

Questions? Contact toty@toyfoundation.org.

Nomination Fees:

  • Toy Association Members: $225 per nomination
  • Non-members:
    • Annual sales below $5M - $495 per nomination
    • Annual sales above $5M - $895 per nomination

Finalist & Winner Seal Fees:

  • Toy Association Members: $995 per seal per category
  • Non-members: $5,000 per seal per category

Product Category Finalists

Product finalists will be selected by a panel of judges comprised of play experts, journalists, academics, retailers, and other toy experts.

The judges will receive all completed product category nominations submitted for review and individually rank each on a scale of 1-5 against the following criteria:

    • Creativity and Originality
    • Design and Quality
    • Play Value

Following the individual evaluation, the panel of judges will meet to discuss and decide the 2023 TOTY finalists for each category.

No brand will be allowed to have more than one (1) finalist in a single category. Companies can have up to two (2) finalists, as long as they are not the same brand.

Every product finalist will be featured on ToyAwards.org.

2023 TOTY finalist seals will be available for purchase by product category finalists when they are announced on Monday, August 21, 2023. 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).

Every product finalist must be represented in-person by either the nominator or a designee at the TOTY Awards on September 29 in New York City.

NEW Campaign-Focused Category Finalists

Campaign-focused finalists will be reviewed and selected by independent industry associates.

NEW People-Focused Category Finalists

All people-focused nominees will be considered for winner selection.

Product Categories

The product category winners are determined by ballot votes 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.

Toy of the Year

The Toy of the Year winner will be chosen by a panel of industry representatives who, using their professional expertise, will consider multiple factors in making their decision, including Toy of the Year votes, 2023 sales through October, and media buzz (traditional, online, and social). The winner will be announced on November 20, 2023.

People’s Choice

The People’s Choice winner is determined solely by consumer votes on ToyAwards.org and will be announced on November 20, 2023.

NEW Campaign-Focused Categories

The Campaign-Focused winners are determined by an independent panel of marketing and CSR professionals assembled in partnership with Advertising Week.

NEW People-Focused Categories

The People-Focused winners are determined by Toy Association member ballot votes.