PEOPLE OF PLAY ANNOUNCE WINNERS OF THE TOY & GAME INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS (THE TAGIES)

EXTRAORDINARY NOMINEES, HONOREES, SURPRISES AND ENTERTAINMENT

Barbie takes home two prestigious TAGIE Awards!

CHICAGO (November 5, 2023) – Almost 350 attendees from 20 countries gathered under the lights at Joe’s Live to celebrate and honor the winners of People of Play’s Toy & Game International Excellence Awards (The TAGIEs). Sponsors included Disney, Oxford Games, Mattel, The Michael Kohner Corporation, Hasbro, Longshore, Spin Master, ASTRA, Nextoy, Super Impulse, Backdrop.com, Baby Paper, Jazwares, Peggy Brown Creative and Barry and Jason Entertoyment.

Jill Barad, former CEO and Chairman of Mattel, and Rouben Terzian, Co-Founder of BMT – Big Monster Toy were honored for Lifetime Achievement Award. Both were presented by Jeffrey Breslow, co-founder BMT. “The evening was celebratory, innovative and entertaining,” said Mary Couzin, President of People of Play.  

The evening opened with the Anima Children’s Choir dressed in Spiderkids costume singing a parody, “I’d Like to Teach the World to Play in Perfect Harmony” and was interspersed with “The Toys that Didn’t Make It” and other entertaining interstitials.

Congratulations to all the 2023 innovative and inspiring finalists listed by category below:

TOY INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

Sara Farber, Bryan Wilson and Will Sakran for Burstin’ Bubble Clouds with Funrise and Rescue Tales Tickle Pup with MGA/Little Tikes

GAME INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

Scott Brady for Boop with Smirk & Dagger

RISING STAR INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR

Disney's John "Cody" Hampton for Limited Edition Cal Kestis Legacy LIGHTSABER

MOST INNOVATIVE PR AND MARKETING TEAM OF THE YEAR

Mattel and Barbie PR and Marketing Team for Barbie Movie Promotion & Painting the World Pink

MOST INNOVATIVE ART AND DESIGN VISUALS OF THE YEAR

Design Edge and Spin Master for Rubiks Influencer Box

MOST INNOVATIVE SUPPLIER OF THE YEA

Grant Lyon for Grant's Game Recs

MOST INNOVATIVE RETAILER OF THE YEAR

Hilary Key for the Toy Chest in Nashville

MOST INNOVATIVE LICENSE OF THE YEAR

Mattel & Barbie Licensing, Consumer Products, and Product Teams for Barbie the Movie

YOUNG INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR (under 18 years old)

Zoe Oli for Beautiful Curly Me

Alongside the nine winners, People of Play honored for Games Changers: Unsung Heroes:

Michael Gramelspacher, Jon Harter, & SG Labs for Club Organizers for St. Clare School Innovator Club

Tara McGrath. Creative Director, Inventor Relations and Innovations, Mattel

Entertainment throughout the evening was provided by Barry and Jason Entertainment, Magician Mark Setteducati and Skip Town and the Greyhounds.

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About People of Play

People of Play (POP) leads the global toy and game industry in promoting innovation, creativity, and connectivity. A one-stop source of community for industry professionals, aspiring inventors and people of all ages who love to play, People of Play hosts a wide range of events including the Chicago Toy & Game (CHITAG) Fair, the Toy & Game International Excellence (TAGIE) Awards, the Young Inventor Challenge, the Toy & Game International Summit, POP Wiki and the People of Play Foundation. 

About the TAGIEs

Founded in 2008, the Toy & Game International Excellence Awards (TAGIEs) celebrate the outstanding achievements of toy and game industry leaders from around the world, by honoring masters of innovation and invention. The annual event also pays homage to industry professionals who differentiate themselves with their spirit for fun, philanthropy, inventor advocacy, creativity and humanitarianism. Inventors, designers, manufacturers, retailers, media and the general public come together for this prestigious annual gala event. The TAGIEs are hosted in the fall in conjunction with POP Week. For more information, visit https://www.chitag.com/2023-tagies

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Media Contacts:

Amy Friedland, afriedland@freemanpr.com

Emily Potrzuski, epotrzuski@freemanpr.com