Tickets are now on sale for The Toy Foundation’s 25th Toy of the Year® (TOTY®) Awards ceremony, which will unveil the industry’s top toys, games, and properties, and honor the newest inductees into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame: Maxine Clark, founder & former chief executive bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop; Sharon DiMinico, founder & chair of Learning Express Toys; and Professor Erno Rubik, inventor of the Rubik’s Cube, in addition to four posthumous inductees.

The gala will take place on Friday, February 28, 2025, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City, as the official kickoff to Toy Fair® week. The TOTY Awards program and event serve as an essential fundraiser for The Toy Foundation. Companies of all sizes are also invited to be a leader in the night’s philanthropy by serving as an event sponsor.

TOTY winners will be awarded across 16 categories, and products will also have a shot at taking home the coveted People’s Choice Award (based solely on consumer votes at ToyAwards.org) and the overall Toy of the Year Award (selected by retailers, journalists, and Toy Association members). The finalists were revealed last month and voting is open now through January 10.

This year’s TOTY Awards gala will kick off with a cocktail networking reception at 6:30 p.m. followed by a plated dinner served during the award ceremony and a networking dessert bar.

Tickets for the evening cost $495 per person ($4,950 per 10-person table) for Toy Association members and $895 per person ($8,950 per 10-person table) for non-members. A glow bracelet for $20 per person is available to add onto ticket purchases; glow bracelets will be distributed onsite at the event. To reserve tickets or tables, interested parties may register online. All proceeds support The Toy Foundation. Ticket sales will close once the TOTY Gala reaches capacity.

The TOTY Awards program serves as the lead in to the 119th annual Toy Fair, taking place March 1 to 4 at the Javits Center in New York City. Visit ToyFairNY.com to learn more.