Congrats to the winners of the 17th annual Toy of the Year Awards, hosted by the The Toy Industry Association (TIA). LEGO and Spin Master snagged three awards this year, while Funko and Mattel had two each.
The Toy of the Year went to LEGO Friends Amusement Park Roller Coaster from LEGO, while the People’s Choice award went to Pop! from Funko. Seven out of the 14 total category winners were licensed brands. Those came from Disney (Doc McStuffins, Star Wars, and the Disney characters license), Nickelodean (Paw Patrol—which snagged License of the Year), and Warner Bros. (DC Super Hero Girls). And of course, Funko’s Pop! line includes a wide variety of licensed lines. As of print, Amazon ranks the top-selling Pop! figures as characters from Stranger Things, Suicide Squad, and DC Comics.
New categories were introduced for this year’s program, including Action Figure of the Year, Collectible of the Year, Construction Toy of the Year, Doll of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Vehicle of the Year.
During the ceremony, three industry vets were also inducted in the Toy Industry Hall of Fame: Peter Elio, former president of LEGO Systems; Ray Larsen, founder of RLA Marketing; and Sydney Rosen, former chairman of Rose-Art Industries.
Here are the winners from each category. Winners that are licensed (at least partially) are starred.
- Action Figure of the Year*: DC Super Hero Girls Action Figure Assortment from Mattel
- Active/Outdoor Toy of the Year: Bunch O Balloons from Zuru
- Activity Toy of the Year: Crayola Air Marker Sprayer from Crayola
- Collectible of the Year*: Pop! from Funko
- Construction Toy of the Year: LEGO Friends Amusement Park Roller Coaster from LEGO
- Doll of the Year: Barbie Fashionista Doll from Mattel
- Game of the Year: Yeti in My Spaghetti from PlayMonster!
- Infant/Preschool Toy of the Year*: Doc McStuffins Toy Hospital Care Cart from Just Play
- Innovative Toy of the Year: Hatchimals from Spin Master
- License of the Year*: Paw Patrol from Spin Master
- Rookie of the Year: 3DoodlerStart Essentials Pen Set from WobbleWorks
- Specialty Toy of the Year*: LEGO Disney Castle from LEGO
- Tech Toy of the Year: CodeGamer from Thames & Kosmos
- Vehicle of the Year*: Air Hogs Star Wars X-Wing vs. Death Star – Rebel Assault from Spin Master