By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
The toy industry celebrated its most innovative products at the 2026 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards on Tuesday evening.
The event also raised more than $1 million for The Toy Foundation, which delivers play to children in need.
Nearly 800 toy and play professionals gathered at Pier Sixty in New York City for the annual gala, themed “Champions of Play,” which is known as the “Oscars” of the toy industry.
Primal Hatch, an interactive T. rex manufactured by Spin Master that hatches from an egg and can be trained by children, won the prestigious “Toy of the Year” award. The product also received the “Action Figure of the Year” honor.
The Pokémon Trading Card Game: Mega Evolution Elite Trainer Box from The Pokémon Company International won the People’s Choice award after receiving the most online votes from consumers. The product celebrates the return of Mega Evolution Pokémon to the trading card game with new artwork and collectible components.
Awards were presented across 16 categories, recognizing products from companies including LEGO Systems, Mattel, Moose Toys, with the Australian animation brand ‘Bluey’ taking the award for Top License.
That award marks the second consecutive year BBC Studios has accepted the coveted award for Bluey.
“It’s an incredible honor to receive back‑to‑back TOTY License of the Year Awards,” said Suzy Lee Raia, EVP, Global Consumer Products at BBC Studios. “This recognition reflects the enduring love for Bluey from our team and from generations of fans. With Bluey named the #1 Preschool Toys Property by Circana and Nielsen’s most‑streamed title for the second-year running, we’re proud to celebrate this achievement with our fantastic partners who bring the Bluey spirit to life every day. We congratulate our partner Moose Toys on winning the TOTY for Playset of the Year for Bluey Supermarket Playset.”
TOTY Awards were handed out in 16 categories and given to the following:
- Primal Hatch (Spin Master Ltd.): Action Figure of the Year
- Wigglitz (ZB Designs): Collectible of the Year
- LEGO Jurassic World Dinosaur Fossils: Tyrannosaurus rex Set (LEGO Systems, Inc.): Construction Toy of the Year
- ChompSaw (Chompshop, Inc.): Creative Toy of the Year
- American Girl Disney Moana Collection (Mattel, Inc.): Doll of the Year
- My Robotic Pet: Coding Chameleon (Thames & Kosmos): Educational Toy of the Year
- Exploding Kittens: The Board Game (Exploding Kittens, Inc.): Game of the Year
- Play Tab (Fat Brain Toy Co.): Infant/Toddler Toy of the Year
- LEGO Game Boy (LEGO Systems, Inc.): Kidult Toy of the Year
- Bluey (BBC Studios): License of the Year
- PoppinColorz Galactic Color Bubble Machine (South Beach Bubbles): Outdoor Toy of the Year
- Bluey Supermarket Playset (Moose Toys LLC): Playset of the Year
- Disney Stitch Ultimate Stitch Interactive Feature Plush (Just Play LLC): Plush Toy of the Year
- Mini Farmstand Sorting Set (Learning Resources, Inc.): Preschool Toy of the Year
- Anywhere Sports – Silent Basketball (Thin Air Brands LLC): Specialty Toy of the Year
- BRIO World Pull Back Train Set (Ravensburger North America, Inc.): Vehicle of the Year
The evening also featured the induction of three new members into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame: Melissa and Doug Bernstein, founders of Melissa & Doug; Isaac Larian, founder and CEO of MGA Entertainment; and posthumously, Stanley Weston, inventor of the G.I. Joe action figure and founder of Leisure Concepts.
Hall of Fame inductees are featured in an exhibit at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York.
“The TOTY Awards celebration is a powerful reminder of the impact play has in children’s lives,” said Pamela Mastrota, executive director of The Toy Foundation. “Congratulations to this year’s winners and finalists for raising the bar on what it means to deliver meaningful, imaginative play experiences, and to the toy community for collectively raising more than $1 million to support The Toy Foundation’s mission.
“We are proud to channel the industry’s incredible passion for play into creating a momentous impact on children in need.”
The Toy Association also introduced the Alan G. Hassenfeld Humanitarian Award in honor of the late Alan Hassenfeld, former CEO of Hasbro. The annual award will recognize individuals or companies in the toy and play industry who demonstrate leadership in humanitarianism and philanthropy.
Proceeds from the event will support The Toy Foundation’s efforts to expand toy distributions worldwide, fund grants for children’s hospitals, and strengthen disaster response initiatives. The foundation’s online auction remains open through February 17.