Nominations Open for the 2025 TAGIE Awards Honoring Toy & Game Innovation

People of Play has officially opened nominations for the 2025 Toy & Game Innovation Excellence (TAGIE) Awards, celebrating their 18th year of recognizing outstanding achievements and creativity in the global toy and game industry. The prestigious awards ceremony will take place on 8 November 2025 as part of POP Week in Chicago.

This year, the TAGIEs introduce more award categories and a streamlined nominee list (seven per category), providing greater opportunities for industry innovators to be recognized. Categories include Preschool Toy Innovator, Kidult Toy Innovator, Tech Toy Innovator, Game Changers – Innovation Heroes, and more. The Game Changer category will specifically honor unsung heroes who drive innovation behind the scenes.

Anyone in the industry can submit a nomination by 2 August 2025, with no fee required. Finalists will be announced in early September, followed by public, media, and industry voting. Special awards, such as Lifetime Achievement and Hassenfeld Humanitarian Award, will be selected by the TAGIE Awards Committee.

“The TAGIEs unite the global toy and game community for a star-studded evening of celebrating the bold, innovative minds and trailblazing individuals and teams that shape our industry—the extraordinary People of Play,” said Karri Bean, senior global licensing manager, Disney Consumer Products, and host of the TAGIE Awards.

Founded in 2008, the TAGIEs honor leaders in innovation, philanthropy, and creativity, and are held alongside the Chicago Toy & Game Fair, the Toy & Game Inventor Pitch and Innovation Conference, and the Young Inventor Challenge.

For more information and to submit a nomination: chitag.com