TLL Staff
People of Play, a division of The Toy Association, has revealed the winners of the 18th annual Toy & Game Innovation Excellence (TAGIE) Awards.
In addition to the winners in 13 categories, POP also honored Seven Towns CEO Mike Moody and Winning Moves Games game designer Phil Orbanes with Lifetime Achievement Awards. Judy Ellis, founder of the world’s first baccalaureate program in Toy Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, was given the Industry Game Changer Award.
The TAGIE Awards ceremony was held this year at Joe’s Live Concert Venue in in Rosemont, Illinois, where the industry honored the inventors, designers, suppliers, retailers, marketers, and PR teams whose creativity, passion, and collaboration continue to shape and inspire the global toy and game industry.
Themed “Friendship,” this year’s ceremony celebrated the connections and camaraderie that unite the toy and game community, organizers said. Attendees from around the world came together to toast not only the groundbreaking innovation that drives the industry forward but also the deep personal connections that make the toy and game community truly special.
“The TAGIE Awards have always been about people: the brilliant minds and generous spirits who share their ideas, lift one another up, and make play possible,” said Mary Couzin, senior vice president and founder/leader of People of Play at The Toy Association. “Behind every hit toy or game is a community of creative souls who pour their hearts into bringing smiles to children and families everywhere. At this year’s TAGIE Awards, we celebrated not just their work, but the friendships that keep this industry thriving.”
Winners were determined through a public vote by consumers and the industry. The full list of the 2025 TAGIE Award winners are included below:
- Adult/Family Game Innovator of the Year: Nick Hayes and Mattel Games Team
- Breakout Innovator of the Year: Ron Weizman & Shooki Grasiani
- Innovative Art and Visuals of the Year: Nate Schimelpfenig, Mindware
- Innovative PR & Marketing Team of the Year: Disney’s Amanda Luna, John “Cody” Hampton, and Tatum Yusz
- Kidult Toy Innovator of the Year: POP MART
- Most Innovative Licensed Product: Tim Walsh, The Playmakers
- Most Innovative Retailer Award: POP MART
- Most Innovative Vendor & Partner: Indy Toy Lab
- Preschool Game Innovator of the Year: Moose Games Team
- Preschool Toy Innovator of the Year: Jordan Goddard, Indy Toy Lab
- Tech Game Innovator of the Year: Valentina Pereyra
- Tech Toy Innovator of the Year: KID Group
- Young Innovator of the Year: Persy Arcement
The TAGIE Awards were hosted by Karri Bean, senior licensing manager of Disney Consumer Products.
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JoAnn McLaughlin, senior vice president of licensed product, design, & development at Disney Consumer Products, delivered welcome remarks and Jeremy Padawer, chief brand officer at Jazwares, presented a keynote.
This year’s awards were sponsored by Disney (Presenting Sponsor), Mattel, The Michael Kohner Corporation, Hasbro, Longshore, Nextoy, Super Impulse, The Playmakers, Baby Paper, Backdrop.com, Peggy Brown Creative, and Design Edge.
Founded in 2008, the TAGIEs is held annually to celebrate outstanding achievements of toy and game industry leaders from around the world. The awards ceremony takes place annually in the fall in conjunction with the Global Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference, Chicago Toy & Game Fair, and the Young Inventor Challenge.