By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
The retail research group The NPD Group named the winners of its 2021 Toy Industry Awards, with LEGO and Mattel topping the list.
The awards recognize top selling toys, properties, and manufacturers globally, but also by region in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, and Europe. The winners are chosen based on data from NPD’s Retail Tracking Service.
According to that data, the entire industry did very well during the entire pandemic period, seeing dramatically increased revenue and profits, despite the challenges brought by pandemic restrictions and supply chain issues.
“These companies should be extremely proud of how well they have responded to adversity during this challenging period,” said Ricardo Solar, SVP of Media Entertainment and Toys at The NPD Group. “I would like to personally congratulate all the winners and wish them continued success in 2022.”
The LEGO Group, Mattel, Pokemon, and Warner Bros in particular were big winners in NPD Group’s Global Industry Performance Awards.
The Danish toy maker LEGO was named as the NPD’s Global Top Toy Manufacturer of the Year award, and its licensed LEGO Super Mario Bros. building sets also won as the Top Gaining Toy Property in Building and Construction.
The US toy maker Mattel also did very well this year, winning the Global Top Toy Property of the Year for its Barbie brand, and the award for Global Top Selling Toy of the Year for its Hot Wheels Singles 1/64 Assortment. Additionally, Mattel had the most top 10 global properties of any manufacturer in 2021, being recognized for 18 top NPD rankings across the global category. While LEGO took the top award globally for top toy maker, Mattel was also ranked as the number one manufacturer in the U.S. for the 28th consecutive year.
“Last year we introduced our Mattel Playbook powered by brand purpose, design-led innovation, cultural relevance, and executional excellence. Our performance under this unique brand-building approach is clear across these extraordinary rankings,” said Richard Dickson, President and COO, Mattel, Inc. “Barbie’s brand purpose to inspire the limitless potential in every girl is resonating more than ever, as evidenced by this top global ranking for the second year in a row. At the same time, Hot Wheels’ performance shows it continues to ignite the challenger spirit on which the brand was founded more than 50 years ago.
“Most importantly, these awards are further proof of the enduring strength of our mission to create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain and develop children through play.”
Partly linked to LEGO’s big win was Nintendo being named for Europe’s Top Gaining Toy Property of the Year for its Super Mario Brothers and Mario Kart properties. The video game property has been a huge licensing win in the toy industry for Nintendo, making consumer products a major part of the game developers’ revenue picture. A somewhat related title, the Pokemon franchise, was also a big winner this year. Originally a collectible card game, Pokemon branched out into video games through Nintendo and then into a vast array of consumer products. This year Pokemon was named by the NPD as the top selling property in the US, Europe, and Canada.
Likewise, the Warner Bros.’ owned Harry Potter franchise continues to perform strongly, being named the winner of the Toy Industry Award for Top Gaining Toy Property of 2020 in the Games & Puzzles category. “We are thrilled to receive this award from The NPD Group and have them recognize the strength of the Harry Potter franchise,” said Julian Moon, SVP, EMEA Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “During these challenging times, it has been uplifting to see children and families come together to play games and puzzles while experiencing the magic of Harry Potter.”
See below for the complete list of the companies and products honored by the NPD awards this year.
Global Top Toy Manufacturer of the Year
| Manufacturer |
| The LEGO Group |
Global Top Toy Property of the Year
| Property | Manufacturer |
| Barbie | Mattel |
Global Top Selling Toy of the Year
| Item | Manufacturer |
| Hot Wheels Singles 1/64 Assortment | Mattel |
U.S. Top-Selling Property of the Year
| Property | Manufacturer |
| Pokémon | Pokémon |
U.S. Top-Selling Toy of the Year
| Item Description | Manufacturer |
| Hot Wheels Singles 1:64 Assortment | Mattel |
U.S. Top-Selling Toy by Supercategory
| Supercategory | Item Description | Manufacturer | ||
| Action Figures & Accessories | DC Comics Super Heroes Multiverse Figure 7″ Assortment | McFarlane Toys | ||
| Arts & Crafts | Kinetic Sand 2lb Color Assortment | Spin Master | ||
| Building Sets | Star Wars The Mandalorian The Child | The LEGO Group | ||
| Dolls | Barbie Dreamhouse | Mattel | ||
| Explorative & Other Toys | 5 Surprise Mini Brands Mystery Pack Assortment | Zuru | ||
| Games/Puzzles | Pokémon Celebrations Elite Trainer Box | Pokémon | ||
| Infant/Toddler/Preschool Toys | Fisher-Price Kick And Play Piano Gym Assortment | Mattel | ||
| Outdoor & Sports Toys | Dirt Rocket MX350 Motorbike 24v | Razor | ||
| Plush | Cocomelon Musical Bedtime JJ 10″ | Jazwares | ||
| Vehicles | Hot Wheels Singles 1:64 Assortment | Mattel | ||
| Youth Electronics | Hatchimals Pixies Crystal Flyers Magical Flying Pixie Assortment | Spin Master | ||
Europe’s Top Gaining Toy Property of the Year
| Property | Manufacturer / Licensor |
| Pokémon | The Pokémon Company |
Europe’s Top Gaining Toy Property by Category
| Total Toys | Property | Manufacturer / Licensor |
| Action Figures & Accessories | Funko Pop! | Funko |
| Arts & Crafts | Kinetic Sand | Spin Master |
| Building Sets | LEGO Creator Expert | The LEGO Group |
| Dolls | Rainbow High | MGA |
| Games & Puzzles | Pokémon | The Pokémon Company |
| Infant/Toddler/Preschool Toys | Paw Patrol | Spin Master |
| Youth Electronics | Robo Alive | ZURU |
| Outdoor & Sports Toys | X-Shot | ZURU |
| Plush | Star Wars | Disney |
| Vehicles | Hot Wheels | Mattel |
| Explorative & Other Toys | Playmobil Others (Black Box) | Playmobil |
Canada Top Toy Property of the Year
| Property | Manufacturer |
| Pokémon | Pokémon |
Canada Top-Selling Toy of the Year
| Item Description | Manufacturer |
| Hot Wheels Singles 1:64 Assortment | Mattel |
Canada Top-Selling Toy by Supercategory
| Supercategory | Item Description | Manufacturer |
| Action Figures & Accessories | DC Comics Super Heroes Multiverse Figure 7″ Assortment | McFarlane Toys |
| Arts & Crafts | Play-Doh Single Tub | Hasbro |
| Building Sets | Super Mario Brothers Adventures Starter Course | The LEGO Group |
| Dolls | Barbie Dreamhouse | Mattel |
| Explorative & Other Toys | 5 Surprise Mini Brands Mystery Pack Assortment | Zuru |
| Games/Puzzles | Pokémon Celebrations Elite Trainer Box | Pokémon |
| Infant/Toddler/Preschool Toys | Paw Patrol Basic Vehicle & Pup Assortment | Spin Master |
| Outdoor & Sports Toys | Spikeball Combo Meal Set | SpikeBall |
| Plush | Beanie Boos Regular Assortment | Ty |
| Vehicles | Hot Wheels Singles 1:64 Assortment | Mattel |
| Youth Electronics | Hatchimals Pixies Crystal Flyers Magical Flying Pixie Toy Assortment | Spin Master |
Brazil Top Toy Property of the Year
| Property | Manufacturer |
| Barbie | Mattel |
Brazil Top-Selling Toy of the Year
| Item Description | Manufacturer |
| Hot Wheels Singles 1:64 Assortment | Mattel |
Brazil Top-Selling Toy by Supercategory
| Supercategory | Item Description | Manufacturer |
| Action Figures & Accessories | Avengers Olympus Project Assortment 9.5″ | Hasbro |
| Arts & Crafts | Play-Doh Drill N Fill Dentist | Hasbro |
| Building Sets | First Builders Big Building Bag | Mattel |
| Dolls | Barbie Color Reveal Doll With 7 Surprises Assortment | Mattel |
| Explorative & Other Toys | Pop It Shape Fidget Toy Assortment | Yes Toys |
| Games/Puzzles | Banco Imobiliario | Estrela |
| Infant/Toddler/Preschool Toys | Baby Brink Maria Clara And JP Doll 21cm | Novabrink |
| Outdoor & Sports Toys | Quad Bike And Pedal Spider Assortment | Maral |
| Plush | Paw Patrol Plush 15cm Assortment | Sunny |
| Vehicles | Hot Wheels Singles 1:64 Assortment | Mattel |
| Youth Electronics | Robo Alive Rampaging Raptor | Candide |
Mexico Top Gaining Toy Property of the Year
| Item Description | Manufacturer |
| Hot Wheels | Mattel |
Mexico Top-Gaining Toy Property by Supercategory
| Supercategory | Property | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|
| Action Figures & Accessories | Marvel Universe | Disney |
| Arts & Crafts | Crayola | Crayola |
| Building Sets | LEGO Super Mario Brothers | The LEGO Group |
| Dolls | Barbie | Mattel |
| Explorative & Other Toys | Playmobil | Playmobil |
| Games/Puzzles | Star Wars | Disney |
| Infant/Toddler/Preschool Toys | Fisher Price | Mattel |
| Outdoor & Sports Toys | Nerf | Hasbro |
| Plush | Star Wars | Disney |
| Vehicles | Hot Wheels | Mattel |
| Youth Electronics | Star Wars | Disney |