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People of Play announced the winners of the 19th annual Toy & Game Innovation Excellence Awards at a Nov. 6 ceremony in Rosemont, Illinois. The 10-category awards recognized innovators and teams across toy and game design, marketing, sales and partnerships; the winners were selected through public voting by consumers and industry members.
People of Play, a division of The Toy Association, announced the winners of the 19th annual TAGIE Awards at a Nov. 6 ceremony in Rosemont, Illinois, recognizing toy and game innovators across 10 categories. The winners were selected through public voting by consumers and industry members, according to the event report.
The Toy & Game Innovation Excellence Awards ceremony took place at Joe’s Live Concert Venue and honored work by inventors, designers, suppliers, retailers, marketers and public relations teams. People of Play said the event was themed “The Force of Play” and also began celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Star Wars in 2027. Ashley Eckstein, the original voice of Ahsoka Tano, hosted, and Lucasfilm President and Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni sent a video message.
Pleasant Rowland, founder of American Girl, received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Elan Lee and Matthew Inman, co-founders of Exploding Kittens, received the Industry Game Changer Award. Other category winners included Alex Wilde, Cody Hampton and Jessica Kaups for Disney: Batuu Adventure Buddies, Ewok, named Toy Innovator of the Year for ages 0–13; and Goliath’s Clickeez Team for Clickeez Series 3: Bubble Pops, in the ages 13+ toy category.
Game Innovator of the Year for ages 0–13 went to Joe Barron, Sophia Ricciardi, David Yakos, Brady Peterson, Danielle Standring and Grant Lyon for Cross the Line. Spin Master Games Team, with inventors Don Ullman and Bob Driscoll, won the ages 13+ category for Murder Phone, Rubik’s Rush and Jumanji Ultimate Level Electronic Board Game. Kayou won Licensed Product Innovator of the Year for KPop Demon Hunters Collectible Trading Cards, while Bryce Mikolajczak received Young Innovator of the Year for Cell Quest.
The remaining awards went to Matthew Inman and the Exploding Kittens Team for Dead Therapist in Art & Visuals; Amanda Rubinos Luna and Ali Way for Disney Lorcana: Curator’s Collection, Heroines Edition, in PR and Marketing; Tyler Williams and the ZB Designs Sales Team for Wigglitz in Sales; and Bang Zoom Design for Peekimo, Bitzee Interactive Aquarium and PAW Patrol Megasaurus Dino Vehicle as Most Innovative Partner.
Recognition Across Toy and Game Roles
The awards cover more than product invention: their categories also recognize design, licensing, marketing, sales and partnerships. The results therefore offer a snapshot of the people and teams the public and industry voters chose to recognize across different parts of the toy and game business this year.
For the named winners, the awards provide industry recognition for specific products and contributions. The ceremony also linked that recognition to a wider anniversary moment: organizers used the “The Force of Play” theme to begin marking 50 years of Star Wars, which reaches its anniversary in 2027. The source does not report sales results or measure the awards’ effect on the winning products.
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How the TAGIE Awards Fit POP Week
Founded in 2008, the TAGIE Awards recognize achievements across the toy and game industry. The 2026 ceremony was the 19th annual event and formed part of People of Play’s POP Week, an annual program that also includes the Global Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference, the Young Inventor Challenge and the Chicago Toy & Game Fair.
The ceremony’s Star Wars elements included a video message from Dave Filoni and commemorative coins bearing the franchise’s 50th-anniversary emblem alongside the TAGIE Awards logo, according to the report. The event was sponsored by companies and organizations including Disney, Hasbro, Mattel, Kickstarter and University Games.
““The TAGIE Awards are a celebration of the creativity, passion, and collaboration that make the toy and game industry so extraordinary.””
— Robb LaFlamme, Director of Hardlines at Disney Parks Retail and Development and chairman of the TAGIE Awards Committee
Voting Details and Award Impact
The report says winners were determined through public voting by consumers and industry members, but it does not give vote totals, voter numbers, eligibility rules or a breakdown of how votes were weighted. It also does not identify the number of finalists in each category.
The announcement confirms the award results and event details, but does not provide independent performance data for the winning products or say whether recognition affected sales, distribution or future development. Those outcomes remain unknown from the available information.
POP Week and Anniversary Events
The TAGIE ceremony was one part of POP Week, alongside the Global Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference, Young Inventor Challenge and Chicago Toy & Game Fair. The source does not give dates for subsequent events or announce further award-related plans.
People of Play has framed the 2026 ceremony as the start of celebrations for Star Wars’ 50th anniversary in 2027. Details of those celebrations were not included in the report. The announced award results are the confirmed outcome for this year’s ceremony; further anniversary programming remains to be specified.
Key Questions
Who organizes the TAGIE Awards?
People of Play, a division of The Toy Association, organizes the Toy & Game Innovation Excellence Awards.
When and where were the 2026 TAGIE Awards held?
The ceremony took place on Nov. 6 at Joe’s Live Concert Venue in Rosemont, Illinois.
How were the winners chosen?
The event report says winners were selected through public voting by consumers and industry members. It does not provide vote totals or further details about the voting process.
Who received the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award?
Pleasant Rowland, founder of American Girl, received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Which awards did the Exploding Kittens founders receive?
Co-founders Elan Lee and Matthew Inman received the Industry Game Changer Award. Inman and the Exploding Kittens Team also won Most Innovative Designer of the Year in Art & Visuals for Dead Therapist.
Source: toybook.com
