People of Play Announce Winners of the Toy & Game International Excellence Awards (TAGIEs)

Barbie takes home two prestigious TAGIE Awards!

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Almost 350 attendees from 20 countries gathered to honor the winners of People of Play (POP)’s Toy & Game International Excellence Awards (TAGIEs). Sponsors included Disney, Oxford Games, Mattel, The Michael Kohner Corporation, Hasbro, Longshore, Spin Master, ASTRA, Nextoy, Super Impulse, Backdrop.com, Baby Paper, Jazwares, Peggy Brown Creative and Barry and Jason Entertainment.

“The evening was celebratory and entertaining,” said Mary Couzin, President of People of Play.

Jill Barad, former CEO and Chairman of Mattel, and Rouben Terzian, Co-Founder of BMT – Big Monster Toy were honored for Lifetime Achievement Award - presented by Jeffrey Breslow, co-founder BMT.

Congratulations to the winners:

TOY INNOVATOR
Sara Farber, Bryan Wilson and Will Sakran for Burstin’ Bubble Clouds with Funrise and Rescue Tales Tickle Pup with MGA/Little Tikes

GAME INNOVATOR
Scott Brady for Boop with Smirk & Dagger

RISING STAR INNOVATOR
Disney's John "Cody" Hampton for Limited Edition Cal Kestis Legacy LIGHTSABER

MOST INNOVATIVE PR AND MARKETING TEAM
Mattel and Barbie PR and Marketing Team for Barbie Movie Promotion & Painting the World Pink

MOST INNOVATIVE ART AND DESIGN VISUALS
Design Edge and Spin Master for Rubiks Influencer Box

MOST INNOVATIVE SUPPLIER
Grant Lyon for Grant's Game Recs

MOST INNOVATIVE RETAILER
Hilary Key for the Toy Chest in Nashville

MOST INNOVATIVE LICENSE
Mattel & Barbie Licensing, Consumer Products, and Product Teams for Barbie the Movie

YOUNG INNOVATOR (under 18 years old)
Zoe Oli for Beautiful Curly Me

Alongside the winners, POP honored for Games Changers: Unsung Heroes:
Michael Gramelspacher, Jon Harter, & SG Labs for Club Organizers for St. Clare School Innovator Club
Tara McGrath, Creative Director, Inventor Relations and Innovations, Mattel.

About People of Play
People of Play leads the global toy and game industry in promoting innovation, creativity, and connectivity. A one-stop source of community for industry professionals, aspiring inventors and people of all ages who love to play, POP hosts a wide range of events including the Chicago Toy & Game (CHITAG) Fair, the TAGIE Awards, Young Inventor Challenge, Toy & Game Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference, POP Wiki and People of Play Holiday Guide.

About the TAGIEs
Founded in 2008, the Toy & Game International Excellence Awards (TAGIEs) celebrate the outstanding achievements of toy and game industry leaders from around the world, by honoring masters of innovation and invention. The annual event also pays homage to industry professionals who differentiate themselves with their spirit for fun, philanthropy, inventor advocacy, creativity and humanitarianism. Inventors, designers, manufacturers, retailers and media come together for this annual gala event. The TAGIEs are hosted in conjunction with POP Week. For more information, visit https://www.chitag.com/2023-tagie-awards