At its 17th annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards gala in New York City recently, the Toy Industry Association announced the top toys and games of the year.
Back in August, the Toy Industry Association (TIA) announced that its 2017 Toy Awards would include several new categories, 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.
The updated categories were meant to represent the toy category and not “girl” or “boy” specific toys and games, according to the TIA.
'Oscars' of the industry
"This year's TOTY winners truly run the gamut, from quirky collectibles and skill-building construction toys, to family games and educational tech toys," said Steve Pasierb, TIA president and CEO. “But there is one thing they all have in common: they bring fun, laughter, and learning to kids!”
The yearly convention, which is known as the "Oscars" of the toy industry, was held at the Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum in New York City.
In addition to eliminating gender-based toy award categories, the TIA also made an effort to make its judging process more transparent and efficient. Winners in each category were ultimately selected based on votes from toy retailers, media, TIA members, and consumers.
The big winners
The LEGO Friends Amusement Park Roller Coaster took home the coveted “Toy of the Year” award, while Pop! from Funko, LLC won the “People’s Choice” award for amassing the most online votes from consumers.
At the end of the night, one winner in each of the TOTY Awards' 14 categories had been announced. The following toys came out on top:
- Action Figure of the Year: DC Super Hero Girls Action Figure Assortment from Mattel, Inc.
- Active/Outdoor Toy of the Year: Bunch O Balloons from Zuru
- Activity Toy of the Year: Crayola Air Marker Sprayer from Crayola, LLC
- Collectible of the Year: Pop! from Funko, LLC
- Construction Toy of the Year: LEGO Friends Amusement Park Roller Coaster from LEGO Systems, Inc.
- Doll of the Year: Barbie Fashionista Doll from Mattel, Inc.
- 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 Ltd.
- License of the Year: Paw Patrol from Spin Master Ltd.
- Rookie of the Year: 3DoodlerStart Essentials Pen Set from WobbleWorks
- Specialty Toy of the Year: LEGO Disney Castle from LEGO Systems, Inc.
- 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 Ltd.