#294: Why the TOTY Awards Are the Oscars of the Toy Industry
You’ve heard of the Emmys, the Oscars, and the Grammys... but what about the TOTYs?
In this episode, we’re going to dive into the TOTY (Toy of the Year) Awards and why they’re a huge deal if you're in the toy industry. I’m breaking down exactly how to get nominated, how to time your launch for max award potential, and how a TOTY nod can boost your sales, get you press, and even give your SEO a serious lift.
You'll also hear about the glamorous TOTY Gala held during New York Toy Fair, how voting works (yes, there’s a People’s Choice!), and how you can leverage a TOTY finalist spot into a powerful marketing moment.
Featured in this episode:
How TOTY nominations can increase sales by 30%
The step-by-step submission and voting timeline
What it’s really like attending the black-tie gala
Promotional spotlight opportunities for current finalists
If you’re a TOTY finalist this year (or know someone who is), now’s the time to act. Public voting is open and closes January 7, 2026! Head to this year’s nominee list, find your category, and start rallying your audience.
And if you’re ready to boost your visibility with a TOTY Spotlight feature on the podcast, YouTube channel, and beyond, grab your category-exclusive promo package before it’s gone. Let’s turn that nomination into a win!
Listen For These Important Moments
[00:01:41] – Learn what the TOTY Awards are, who runs them, and why they’re the Oscars of the toy world.
[00:02:02] – Find out exactly how to qualify for a nomination: including timing, crowdfunding rules, and product availability.
[00:03:09] – Step inside the black-tie TOTY Gala with Azhelle’s firsthand recap from red carpet to Wyclef Jean.
[00:04:55] – How a TOTY nomination can lead to a 30% sales bump, more press, better SEO, and even job offers.
[00:07:10] – Get details on my exclusive promo packages for 2026 finalists! (only one per category)
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This episode is brought to you by www.thetoycoach.com
Ready to support the best in play? Head over to the official gallery to check out this year’s Toy of the Year nominees and cast your vote for your favorites! https://toyawards.secure-platform.com/apply/gallery?roundId=82009
Are you a 2026 TOTY finalist?Now’s your chance to turn that nomination into a win! Lock in your exclusive promo spot on the podcast, YouTube channel, and more—only one finalist per category allowed.
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Azhelle Wade: All right. You already know about the Golden Globes, the Emmys, the Grammys, the Tony Awards, but have you heard of the TOTY Awards? TOTY stands for Toy of the Year. It's a black tie award show, and it's the Oscars of the toy industry. Today, I'm gonna tell you what the TOTYs are, where they're held, what it's like to attend, and what you can do to snag a TOTY win if you have a toy or game.
Hey there toy people. Welcome back to another episode of Making It In The Toy Industry with me, Azhelle Wade. I'm a mom and toy industry educator. I've been in the industry since 2010 and I've worked for some of the biggest brands like Madame Alexander, Party City, and Toys"R"Us designing toys.
Since launching The Toy Coach in 2020, I've worked with big brands like Hasbro, Relatable, BDA Inc., and National Geographic on toy projects. Today, I'm known for helping emerging inventors and entrepreneurs break into the industry to get their ideas licensed, get placement in mass market stores, and win toy awards. You'll find my products clients behind me, but also in Barnes and Noble, Target, Walmart, and at specialty toy stores across the globe.
People call the TOTY the Oscars of the toy industry for a reason. A TOTY win will open up major doors: press, mass market retail placement, and business deals that wouldn't have come to companies otherwise. If your toy business is feeling stagnant or you wanna put major momentum behind an upcoming launch, consider applying for a TOTY Award and aligning your launch schedule for it.
So your first question might be, who runs the TOTY Awards? Well, it's run by the nonprofit organization called The Toy Foundation, which is the philanthropic arm of The Toy Association. The TOTYs celebrate the year's most creative and innovative toys with a black tie Gala, and it doubles as a fundraiser for kids.
How do you get considered for an award? Well, every summer, typically in August, The Toy Foundation puts out a call for entries. To qualify for a nomination, the submitted toy must be new or newish to the market and available for purchase in the U.S. by Q4 of the nomination year. If you're crowdfunding a toy idea, that product has to be fully funded in the summer with retail availability by November in Q4. So, if you're thinking of launching a new toy and you think that it has TOTY power, consider aligning your launch calendar to the TOTY Awards.
Now a TOTY Award nomination and the win is a chance to be recognized as the best of the best in the industry, to feature your company, your leadership, and put your product in front of millions of consumers. From the submissions, the final nominees are selected by a panel of play experts, media retailers, and academics.
In 2026, the finalists were announced at another toy industry trade show called The Tagies in November, but we'll cover that event in another video. Voting for the TOTYs is open to members of The Toy Association, retailers, and media. And there are some opportunities for the public to vote on TOTYs, and it's called the People's Choice Award. So, even if you're a consumer, you can vote.
Voting continues into early January of the following year, and winners are announced at the Black Tie Gala held during New York Toy Fair, which is Toy Fair season in the toy industry, in February. TOTY Night is the centerpiece of New York Toy Fair.
I first attended the TOTYs in September of 2023 because a game my husband designed was being nominated for Game of the Year. As we pulled up to the gala, we were greeted by all of our industry friends, dressed to the nines. First of all, they looked great.
There was a red carpet and paparazzi style interviews. Upon entering, we snacked on hors d'oeuvres, we enjoyed the open bar. We posed in front of a step and repeat backdrop that promoted the TOTY sponsors. Each category winner was called to the stage, just like the Oscars, given a few minutes for their speech. They were even played off by music when they went over time.
Even still, the night went long because there were 16 categories to go through. And even though my hubby didn't take home the win that night, we sure felt like we did. We ended our night dancing side by side with that night's performer Wyclef Jean, "Two Hips Don't Lie". I mean, it was an amazing time.
When you look at the brands nominated for a TOTY in any given category, you're gonna understand that just being nominated is a huge deal. You'll see companies the likes of Mattel, Hasbro, Spin Master, and IPs like Bluey and Ms. Rachel amongst the nominees. The TOTYs are the big leagues, but why does a TOTY nomination matter so much?
And if your toy is TOTY nominated, should you flaunt it? Well, yes, first, customers love it. A TOTY nomination seal on your toys, ads, or packaging can move customers to buy more up to 30%. It's also a press magnet. Award nominated toys are gold to the press because the checks and balances are already taken care of. An award nomination signals to us that quality and industry integrity are a given.
Also, you get a retail search lift. Consumers, buyers, and media writers literally type in "toy of the year" and that year when looking for the hottest toy of the season to buy or report on. Professionally, having worked on a TOTY nominated product is corporate fuel. If you work a corporate job, having a TOTY nominated toy on your resume is a major credibility booster to you and whichever employers you might work with.
There's also an SEO site boost with over 480 searches per month on average. Just having your toy nominated for a TOTY can get more visits to your page, so consider making a simple voting landing page for your product.
Now, there is a caveat though. When you're a TOTY finalist, you still have to pay to license the seal from The Toy Foundation. So, you can reference your toy as a finalist in text, but any official graphics and use of that seal requires a licensing fee.
Now, before we continue, tell me this: Have you ever been nominated for a TOTY? Has anyone you know ever been nominated for a TOTY? Tell me the details below.
As I said earlier in this video, the finalist for the 2026 TOTYs are live. Among the nominees, you'll find Sticky Rolls by Sky Castle Toys, Needoh Nice Cube Swirl by Schylling Toys, Swift Clicks Hashi Bracelet Maker by Make It Real, and Connect Four Frenzy by Hasbro, and many, many more. Now I'll link the list to the full description of all the nominees below.
Last year I happened to interview three TOTY winners on this podcast, including South Beach Bubbles, who took home the 2025 TOTY for Outdoor Toy of the Year. And WowWee, who took home two TOTYs: the heavily coveted overall Toy of the Year TOTY, and then the Tech Toy of the Year TOTY. Unheard of. Radio Flyer took home the 2025 TOTY for Infant Toddler Toy of the Year.
And because I featured those people, I got the idea to run a category exclusive spotlight on TOTY finalists as a part of the Making It In The Toy Industry Podcast. We're doing this on the podcast, on the YouTube channel, all to promote TOTY finalists so they can turn their nominations into wins.
Now, I'm only accepting one finalist per category, so when a category books, it closes. Let me just tell you the promo options really quick. Number one, The Essential Spotlight Tier. For $495, you get a full podcast interview feature and promotion to our email list. The Impact Spotlight Tier 2, for $795, you get everything in Essential, plus a YouTube product review and additional social media reel about your toy as well.
For The Amplify Spotlight Tier 3, for $1,695, you get everything in the previous two tiers along with an ad campaign with ad money, run by The Toy Coach team on our accounts to get more eyeballs on your promotion. There are 16 TOTY categories, only 12 left to book for this promotion for this year.
Once a finalist in a category purchases a tier, that category is completely unavailable to anyone else. I'm making this a category exclusive spotlight to maintain the integrity of the promotions and to increase the value of your campaign with us. When you choose one of my TOTY finalist promo packages, you're not only getting the service outlined in the package, but also me behind your brand and promoting your product to be the TOTY winner for the duration of the season.
Public voting for the TOTYs is open now. It closes January 7th for 2026. So if you're a TOTY finalist, if you know someone who is, it is time to grab your Essential Spotlight for your category. Claim it, own it, and get your TOTY win.
Now, if you're not a TOTY finalist, but you have a question about the toy industry, comment your question below. Tell me what else you'd like to learn. I'd be happy to share it on this podcast and on this channel. As always, thank you so much for spending this time with me today. I know your time is valuable and that there are a ton of podcasts out there.
Do me one favor and promise me this. If you decide to develop a toy or game idea, that you are gonna make it a toy. Okay? Until next time, I'll see you later toy people.
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