TLL Staff
People of Play will recognize three of the toy and game industry’s most influential figures at the 18th annual Toy & Game Innovation Excellence (TAGIE) Awards
Mike Moody and Phil Orbanes will each receive Lifetime Achievement Awards, while Judy Ellis will be honored as this year’s Industry Game Changer.
Themed “Friendship,” the 2025 ceremony will highlight creativity, collaboration, and the connections that have shaped generations of toy and game design.
“The theme of ‘Friendship’ feels especially fitting for the TAGIE Awards this year because so much of what drives our industry comes from collaboration,” said Mary Couzin, senior vice president and founder of People of Play. “Mike, Phil, and Judy each embody that collaborative spirit.
“Their work has not only inspired countless products and careers but has also built lasting connections that remind us why this industry feels more like a family than a business.”
The event will be held this year on Nov. 8 at Joe’s Live Concert Venue in Rosemont, Illinois, featuring awards in 13 categories. Public voting remains open through Oct. 24.
The evening will be hosted by Karri Bean, senior licensing manager at Disney Consumer Products, with welcome remarks from JoAnn McLaughlin, Disney’s senior vice president of licensed product, design, and development. Jeremy Padawer, chief brand officer at Jazwares, will deliver the keynote address.
Honoring Industry Leaders
Moody, CEO of London-based Seven Towns Ltd., brings more than three decades of experience in the toy and game sector. His work spans roles from buyer at John Menzies PLC to marketing leadership at Tyco Matchbox Toys.
At Seven Towns, he has overseen the creation and licensing of globally recognized games and toys, including Boglins, Weebles, Rubik’s, Junior Monopoly, Pig Goes Pop, Silly Sausage, Greedy Granny, and Who’s the Dude.
Orbanes is a game designer and author, the founding partner of Winning Moves Games, and a former senior vice president of research and development at Parker Brothers.
Known for his extensive work on the Monopoly franchise, he has written several books chronicling its history and served as the chief judge of both the U.S. and World Monopoly Championships for more than 30 years. You could almost say Orbanes had a monopoly on Monopoly.
Ellis, recognized as a pioneer in toy design education, founded the world’s first bachelor’s degree program in Toy Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in 1989.
As a distinguished professor and program chair, she mentored generations of designers and emphasized ethical and inclusive practices in toy creation.
Ellis was inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame in 2013 and has received multiple awards for teaching and service.
A celebration of creativity and collaboration
The TAGIE Awards, established in 2008, honor innovators, inventors, and leaders from across the global toy and game community. The event coincides with several major gatherings in the industry, including the Global Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference, the Chicago Toy & Game Fair, and the Young Inventor Challenge.
Sponsors of this year’s ceremony include Disney, Mattel, The Michael Kohner Corporation, Hasbro, Longshore, Nextoy, Super Impulse, The Playmakers, Baby Paper, Backdrop.com, Peggy Brown Creative, and Design Edge.
Tickets for the 2025 TAGIE Awards are now available through the People of Play website.