Nominations are Now Open for 2025 Toy & Game
International Excellence Awards Lifetime Achievement Honor

Submit Your Nominations Now through June 30

CHICAGO, IL | May 19, 2025 — Nominations are now open for the prestigious Lifetime Achievement honor at the 2025 Toy & Game International Excellence (TAGIE) Awards, hosted annually by People of Play™ (POP). Taking place on November 8, this year’s event marks the TAGIEs’ 18th year celebrating the outstanding innovators, designers, retailers, suppliers, PR professionals, and marketers who drive creativity and success across the global toy and game industry.

“Each year, the TAGIEs ignite the spirit of play by uniting the global toy and game community — bringing together professionals, creators, and consumers from around the world in a one-of-a-kind celebration of talent and innovation,” said John Barbour, toy industry veteran and chair of the TAGIE Lifetime Achievement committee. “As a centerpiece of POP Week, the TAGIEs honor creativity, contribution, and the collaborative spirit that drives our industry. It’s more than an awards show — it’s the heart of POP!”

Anyone in the industry may submit a nomination by June 30, 2025. There is no fee to nominate a candidate for consideration. Criteria for the Lifetime Achievement Award includes:

• Long experience and record of accomplishment in the play industry.
• Innovative product or marketing introductions.
• Charitable efforts benefiting children and/or children’s causes.
• An unimpeachable record of integrity and respect in the industry.

The TAGIEs ceremony is one of several events that takes place during People of Play’s annual POP Week — taking place November 5 to 9 in Rosemont, IL — including the Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference, Young Inventor Challenge, and Chicago Toy & Game Fair.

Click here for more information about the TAGIE Awards. Photos from the 2024 TAGIE Awards are available here.

Past Lifetime Achievement Honorees include:

2008 - Jeffrey Breslow
2009 - Reuben Klamer
2010 - Eddy Goldfarb
2011 - Burt Meyer
2012 - Theo and Ora Coster
2013 - Howard Morrison
2014 - Michael Kohner and The Kohner Family
2015 - Richard Maddocks
2016 - Reyn Guyer
2017 - Adi Golad
2017 - Judy Blau
2018 - Paul Rago and David Small
2019 - Ivan Moscovich
2020 - Erno Rubik
2021 - Tom Kalinske, Michelle Litzky, and the Pressman Family
2022 - Leslie Scott, Kantaro Tomiyama, and Alan Hassenfeld
2023 - Jill Barad and Rouben Terzian
2024 – Mary Danby and Dan Romanelli

About the TAGIE Awards  chitag.com/2025-tagie-awards
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. 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, suppliers, media, public relations and marketing professionals, and the general public come together for this prestigious annual gala event. The TAGIEs are hosted in the fall in conjunction with the Toy & Game Inventor Pitch and Innovation Conference, Chicago Toy & Game Fair, PlayCHIC, and the Young Inventor Challenge.

About People of Play™  peopleofplay.com 
People of Play (POP), a division of The Toy Association™, 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, People of Play hosts a play platform packed with resources and connection points as well as a wide range of events including the Chicago Toy & Game (CHITAG) Fair, the Toy & Game International Excellence (TAGIEs) Awards, the Young Inventor Challenge, the Toy & Game Inventor Pitch and Innovation Conference, and more.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Amy Friedland
 Emily Auriemma
 Susan O’Sullivan
People of Play PR