The Licensing Letter

Finalists Named for 2026 Licensing International Excellence Awards

TLL Staff

Licensing International has announced 223 finalists across 35 categories for its annual Excellence Awards, recognizing standout creativity and innovation across the global brand licensing industry.

More than 800 submissions were reviewed by a panel of 300 judges from 20 countries. The winners will be announced at the Licensing International Excellence Awards ceremony on Monday, May 18 at the HyperX Arena Las Vegas at the Luxor hotel, immediately preceding Licensing Expo, which runs May 19–21 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. The annual award ceremony typically acts as the major kickoff for the Licensing Expo.

“The strength of this year’s finalists reflects the continued evolution of the global licensing industry,” said Maura Regan, president of Licensing International. “From innovative collaborations to meaningful brand extensions, this group represents the creativity and strategic thinking driving the licensing industry forward. We’re proud to recognize their work and look forward to celebrating their achievements.”

Licensing International is the leading trade organization for the global brand licensing industry, which it values at more than $369 billion.

Founded in 1985, the organization counts more than 1,500 member companies across 40 countries. Licensing Expo, which has run annually since 1980, draws more than 5,000 brands and 12,000 industry professionals from more than 70 countries each year.

Finalists were presented by the award ceremony sponsor Alifish. Registration for the awards ceremony is available on the Licensing International website.

The complete list of nominations is below.

Full List of Finalists

Best Animated Brand

  • Bluey — BBC Studios, Ludo Studios
  • CHIIKAWA — SPIRALCUTE (Alifish)
  • Hello Kitty and Friends — Sanrio
  • Paddington — STUDIOCANAL Kids & Family Ltd.
  • Peanuts — Peanuts Worldwide
  • Peppa Pig — Hasbro
  • The Smurfs — Peyo Company
  • Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir — Miraculous Corp

Best Art, Design, or Museum Brand

  • Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation (Jewel Branding & Licensing)
  • Liberty London
  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Beanstalk)
  • Natural History Museum London (Beijing Qianli Cultural Creativity Co., Ltd.)
  • New York Botanical Garden (Jewel Branding & Licensing)
  • Suzhou Museum
  • V&A

Best Corporate Brand

  • Arm & Hammer — Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (Brandgenuity)
  • Ford (CAA Brand Management)
  • Goodyear — The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (IMG)
  • Kodak — Kodak Ltd.
  • Toyota — Toyota Motor Corporation (Joester Loria Group)
  • United States Postal Service (Global Icons)

Best Fashion or Lifestyle Brand

  • BCBG — Marquee Brands (G-III Apparel Group)
  • Bearpaw (The Brand Liaison)
  • Laura Ashley — Marquee Brands
  • Nicole Miller — Gordon Brothers Brands

Best Food, Beverage, or Restaurant Brand

  • 7-Eleven (The Brand Liaison)
  • Coca-Cola
  • Dole (Beanstalk)
  • Hershey (Brand Activation Consulting)
  • Mike’s Hot Honey (Brandgenuity)
  • Peeps (Brand Activation Consulting)
  • Starburst (Brand Central)
  • Tapatio Hot Sauce (Brand Central)
  • Violet Crumble (Asembl Brands)

Best Interactive or Digital Brand

  • Angry Birds
  • Chefclub
  • Fortnite (IMG)
  • Minecraft (CAA Brand Management)
  • Pac-Man
  • Tetris

Best Live Action Brand

  • Jurassic World Rebirth — Universal Products & Experiences
  • The Last of Us — Sony Pictures Entertainment
  • Monster Jam — Feld Entertainment
  • Stranger Things 5 — Netflix
  • The White Lotus — Warner Bros. Discovery

Best Music Artist or Celebrity Brand

  • Dolly Parton — Speckled Bird Productions (IMG)
  • Grateful Dead — Warner Music Experience
  • Iron Maiden — Iron Maiden LLP (Global Merchandising Services)
  • Martha Stewart — Marquee Brands
  • Oasis — Oasis Merchandising Ltd. (Global Merchandising Services)
  • The Rolling Stones — MUSIDOR BV (Bravado)

Best Publishing, Stationery, or Social Expression Brand

  • Crayola
  • Dog Man — Monster Island (Joester Loria Group)
  • Dr. Seuss Enterprises
  • Moomin — Moomin Characters Ltd. (Rights & Brands)
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar/World of Eric Carle — Penguin Random House (Joester Loria Group)

Best Sports, eSports, or Collegiate Brand

  • ESPN
  • Futbol Club Barcelona
  • NASCAR
  • NFLPA
  • Rip Curl — KMD Brands (Asembl Brands)
  • Yale (WildBrain CPLG)

Best Toy Brand

  • The Monsters — POP MART
  • Lego
  • Squishmallows — Jazwares
  • Barbie — Mattel

Best Apparel, Accessories, or Footwear Product for Corporate Brands

  • Ariani — Van Gogh Museum (IMG)
  • Adidas Originals — Liberty London Footwear Collection
  • Civil Regime, Philcos — Pacsun McDonaldland Collection (IMG)
  • Coca-Cola Chuck Taylor All Stars — Converse
  • Factorie — Van Gogh Museum Streetwear Collection (IMG)
  • PacSun — Ford Apparel Collection (CAA Brand Management)
  • Shinsegae International — Harley-Davidson Streetwear Collection (IMG)

Best Apparel, Accessories, or Footwear Product for Entertainment Brands

  • Baggu — Miffy Collection (Joester Loria Group)
  • C&A — Minecraft Apparel Collection (CAA Brand Management)
  • Casio Computer Co. — Stranger Things Watch
  • Converse — Bluey Collection
  • H&M Studio Collection — The White Lotus Apparel Collection (Nordic Licensing Company)
  • KITH — The Rolling Stones Apparel Collection (Bravado)

Best Appliance, Automotive, or Electronic Product for Corporate Brands

  • Casetify — The British Museum Collection (Alfilo Brands)
  • Cuisine Barista — Ducati Barista M3
  • Orbit Innovations — Champion (Brand Central)
  • RETO Production Ltd. — Kodak Charmera Keychain Digital Camera
  • SipaBoards — BMW e-SUP Stand Up Paddleboard (Brandgenuity)
  • VQ — Laura Ashley VQ Air Fryer 4.5L

Best Appliance, Automotive, or Electronic Product for Entertainment Brands

  • CASETiFY x Sanrio Characters Collection (Alifish)
  • Hyundai — Peanuts Themes (WildBrain CPLG)
  • Mahindra Group — Batman Electric SUV
  • Razer — Pokemon Pikachu Edition Wireless Mouse & Mouse Mat (Alifish)
  • Realme — Game of Thrones Phone Case
  • Stern Pinball, Inc. — Star Wars: Fall of the Empire Pinball Machines

Best Food or Beverage Product for Corporate Brands

  • Absolut Vodka — Tabasco (IMG)
  • Laduree — Inspirational Marie Antoinette Macaron Gift Box
  • Liquid Death — Fruity Pebbles Cereal Criminal
  • Palermo Villa, Inc. — Cheez-It Frozen Pizza (Beanstalk)
  • Sidari Artisanal Foods — Guinness Steak Cuts (Beanstalk)
  • SnaxSational Brands — Smucker’s & Jif PB&J Popcorn (Brand Central)

Best Food or Beverage Product for Entertainment Brands

  • Coffee Mate — Harry Potter Toffee Cauldron Cake and Peppermint Toad Coffee Creamer
  • Danone — Actimel Minecraft Yogurts (CAA Brand Management)
  • Gotham Greens — Sesame Street Lettuce
  • Heinz — Peppa Pig Pasta Shapes in Tomato Sauce (Asembl Brands)
  • McDonald’s China — The Powerpuff Girls McDonald’s McCrispy Chicken Burger
  • Nongshim Co., Ltd. — Shin Ramyun KPop Demon Hunters
  • Spam — Green Eggs and Spam

Best Health & Beauty Product for Corporate Brands

  • Band Aid — The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Beanstalk, Brand Central)
  • Cimed Group — Carmed, Coca-Cola Lip Balm
  • Dr. Squatch — Ford F-150 Tough Scrub (CAA Brand Management)
  • Hard Candy — Girl Scouts Candy Collection (Earthbound Brands)
  • Sephora — Tabasco Outrageous Plump Lip Gloss (IMG)

Best Health & Beauty Product for Entertainment Brands

  • Dr. Pawpaw — Paddington Lip Balm Collection
  • Fenty Beauty — The Smurfette Collection
  • Mad Beauty — Harry Potter Beauty Gifting Collection
  • Ordo — Wicked: For Good Electric Toothbrush
  • ROJA London — Harry Potter Burlington 1819 Perfume (Michel Harrouk)
  • Ulta Beauty Collection — Peanuts Cosmetics Collection

Best Home Decor or Homeware Product for Corporate Brands

  • Delta Children — babyGap Nursery Furniture, Baby Gear & Soft Good Accessories (IMG)
  • Enchante Accessories — Papyrus Paper Home Collection (Joester Loria Group)
  • Levinsohn Textile Co. — Arm & Hammer Utility Bedding and Bath (Brandgenuity)
  • Meri Meri — Liberty London Home Collection
  • Trove Brands — Owala Diet Coke Collection

Best Home Decor or Homeware Product for Entertainment Brands

  • Artek — Moomin Furniture Collection (Rights & Brands)
  • Bomsowa Co., Ltd. — Bridgerton Regency Furniture Collection
  • Dalstrong — KISS Culinary Collection
  • Dragon Glassware — Wicked: For Good Collection
  • FORMITALIA — The Joker Furniture Collection
  • Le Creuset Group AG — Wicked: For Good Signature Round Dutch Oven
  • Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and Pottery Barn Teen — Wicked: For Good Collection

Best Interactive or Digital Product

  • Halfbrick Studios — Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen Game
  • Microsoft — Dragon Ball Z DLC (Crunchyroll)
  • Red Games Co. — The Paddington Event in Crayola Create & Play+ App
  • SKIDOS — Angry Birds Play & Learn Game
  • StoryToys — Lego Bluey Game
  • Tonies — Gabby’s Cat-tastic Scavenger Hunt

Best Publishing, Social Expression, or Back-to-School Product

  • Chronicle Books — Murdle Puzzle
  • Chronicle Books — Studio Ghibli My Neighbor Totoro Stationery Set
  • Eastpak — Ghostbusters Backpack
  • Eccolo — Laura Ashley Stationery
  • Pan Macmillan — A Year in the Moominhouse (Rights & Brands)
  • Penguin Random House — KPop Demon Hunters: For the Fans! Little Golden Book

Best Toys, Games, Novelties, or Role Play (ages 0-8) Product

  • JAKKS Pacific — Disney Darlings Deluxe Feature Doll
  • Moose Toys — Bluey Supermarket
  • Red Toolbox — Goodyear Take Apart Engine
  • Spin Master — Gabby’s Dollhouse: Meowmazing Dollhouse
  • Spin Master — Jurassic World Primal Hatch
  • Spin Master — Ms. Rachel Toy Line
  • Tent and Table — Tetris Inflatable Collection

Best Toys, Games, Novelties, or Role Play (ages 8+) Product

  • Lego — Gremlins Gizmo
  • Lego — Star Wars Death Star
  • Mattel — MoMA Collection
  • MGA — Miniverse Make It Mini Back to Hogwarts
  • Pop Mart — Mega Space Molly 1000% Stranger Things
  • Pop Mart — Van Gogh Museum Sunflowers (IMG)
  • Spin Master — How to Train Your Dragon, Real Flying RC Toothless

Best Accessories or Footwear Collaboration

  • Andy Warhol x Piaget
  • Eggo x Brunch (Joester Loria Group)
  • Kodak x Reebok
  • Omega Swatch x Peanuts
  • Peeps x Alex and Ani (Brand Activation Consulting)
  • Tetris x LeSportsac
  • Vans x KPop Demon Hunters

Best Advertising Campaign Featuring a Licensed Brand

  • It’s Kahlunkin’ (Brandgenuity, Wieden+Kennedy London)
  • It’s Pixel, Actually (Born Licensing, WPP Media Futures Group)
  • McDonald’s The Grinch Meal
  • One Last Strange Target Run — Stranger Things (Target Creative, Netflix Brand Creative Studio)
  • Soft Wins — On x Sesame Workshop
  • Walmart’s WhoKnewVille

Best Apparel Collaboration

  • A Bathing Ape x Van Gogh Museum (IMG)
  • Cath Kidston x Moomin (Rights & Brands)
  • Primark x Stranger Things 5
  • PUMA x BMW M Motorsport (Brandgenuity)
  • Star Wars x Columbia
  • Superman x Maria Escote
  • Uniqlo x Coca-Cola x Keith Haring

Best Experiential or Location-Based Initiative

  • Cookie Monster Cafe (Haven Global)
  • The Friends Experience Las Vegas
  • How Do You Do, Snoopy? 75 Years: A Journey of Friendship Through Art (WildBrain CPLG)
  • Netflix House
  • Red Bull Tetris World Final
  • The Wizard of Oz at Sphere

Best Hardlines or Packaged Goods Collaboration

  • Coca-Cola x Star Wars
  • Dove x Bridgerton (Seltzer Licensing Group)
  • Dungeons & Dragons x Stranger Things
  • Hello Kitty and Friends x TMNT x McDonald’s
  • The Lego Group x Van Gogh Museum
  • Trojan x Dr. Squatch (Brandgenuity)

Best Licensed Promotion

  • Backstreet Boys x The Sphere Las Vegas Residency Promotion
  • Bauducco x PlayStation Golden Cookie Promotion
  • The Earl Grey Tea Series (ARTiSTORY)
  • From Phone to Drone
  • Paddington with Singapore Airlines (CAA Brand Management)
  • Peanuts Starbucks Promotion
  • The Seven Kingdoms Experience
  • Which Friend Are You?

Best Retailer for Corporate, Lifestyle, Fashion, or Sports Brands

  • Bershka — NASCAR
  • Loblaws — Crayola
  • PacSun — Modelo (Joester Loria Group)
  • Pull & Bear — Toyota Motor Corporation (Joester Loria Group)
  • Target — Coca-Cola
  • Walmart — Peeps (Brand Activation Consulting)

Best Retailer for Entertainment Brands

  • Banana Republic — The White Lotus
  • Bloomingdale’s — PlayStation
  • CB2 — The White Lotus
  • Five Below — Wicked: For Good
  • Giordano — Kung Fu Panda & Minions (Pacific Licensing Studio)
  • Liverpool — Stranger Things
  • Primark — Wicked: For Good
  • Spirit Halloween — K-Pop Demon Hunters

Best Sustainability Initiative

  • The Beatrix Potter x Pure Lakes Collaboration (Penguin Ventures)
  • byKamy x DC: Upcycled Handmade Rugs Collection
  • BMW x CASETiFY Innovation Collection: Sustainability Meets Iconic Design (Brandgenuity)
  • Moomin Imperfect Collection (Rights & Brands)
  • Volvo Cars + Plaza Sesame — Responsible Mobility Campaign