2025 TAGIE Awards: PoP announces Lifetime Achievement & Game Changer Honorees
People of Play will honor Mike Moody and Phil Orbanes with Lifetime Achievement Awards and Judy Ellis as the Industry Game Changer at the 18th annual Toy & Game Innovation Excellence (TAGIE) Awards on Saturday, November 8. This year’s ceremony, themed “Friendship,” will celebrate the extraordinary creativity and innovation that drive the toy and game community, but also the enduring bonds that bring inventors, designers, and industry leaders together. The event will take place at Joe’s Live Concert Venue in Rosemont, IL.
Theme of ‘Friendship
“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/leader of People of Play at The Toy Association. “The toy and game community thrives on shared creativity — inventors, designers, marketers, and educators coming together to bring ideas to life. 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.”
30 years of experience
Mike Moody has more than 30 years of experience working in the toy and game industry, from serving as a buyer for John Menzies PLC to becoming a marketing leader at Tyco Matchbox Toys. Moody is currently the CEO of Seven Towns Ltd., one of the world’s leading toy and game invention studios, where he has guided the company’s creative vision for developing, designing, and licensing toys and games for major global manufacturers for more than two decades. His work has contributed to beloved brands including Boglins, Weebles, Rubik’s, Junior Monopoly, Pig Goes Pop, Silly Sausage, Greedy Granny, Who’s the Dude, and many more.
Celebrated game designer and author
Phil Orbanes is a celebrated game designer, author, and founding partner of Winning Moves Games. With a distinguished career that includes serving as senior vice president of research and development at Parker Brothers, Orbanes has played a pivotal role in the evolution of modern board games. He is the author of several books on Monopoly and game history, including “The Monopoly Companion” and “Monopoly: The World’s Most Famous Game and How It Got That Way,” and has served as the chief judge of the U.S. and World Monopoly Championships for more than 30 years.
Designer, educator and visionary
Judy Ellis is a designer, educator, and visionary whose educational work continues to shape the global toy industry. In 1989, she founded the world’s first baccalaureate program in Toy Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), where she served as chair and was ranked as distinguished professor. Her career has focused on advancing creative, ethical, and inclusive toy design while mentoring generations of industry leaders. A 2013 Toy Industry Hall of Fame inductee, Ellis has received numerous awards for teaching and service.
Throughout the evening, TAGIE awards will also be presented to winners in 13 categories. Public voting for each category is open through October 24.
Source: Press Release People of Play