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The Toy Foundation has announced 122 finalists for the 2027 Toy of the Year Awards, spanning 17 toy and game categories. The winners are scheduled to be revealed at a Feb. 19 gala in New York City; voting is open for the People’s Choice Award at toyawards.org.
The Toy Foundation has named 122 finalists for the 2027 Toy of the Year Awards, selecting products across 17 categories that range from action figures and games to educational, infant and toddler, and tech toys. The finalists were announced Saturday at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair in Rosemont, Illinois; award winners are scheduled to be announced at a February gala in New York City.
The list covers toys and games from companies including Mattel, Hasbro, Spin Master, The LEGO Group, Just Play, Moose Toys, MGA Entertainment and Thames & Kosmos. Categories include Action Figure of the Year, Collectible of the Year, Construction Toy of the Year, Creative Toy of the Year, Doll of the Year, Educational Toy of the Year and Game of the Year, alongside categories for infant and toddler toys, outdoor play, plush, preschool products, technology and vehicles.
Among the named finalists are Mattel’s Disney and Pixar Toy Story 5 Ultimate Action Figures, The LEGO Group’s LEGO One Piece The Going Merry Pirate Ship, Spin Master’s Rubik’s Rush and the Fisher-Price Moves with You Turtle Walker from Mattel. The source’s published list also names products in a Kidult category, including LEGO Super Mario Donkey Kong Arcade and Hasbro’s Star Wars: Ultimate Grogu. These examples are finalists, not winners; the awards results have not yet been announced.
The foundation says the 2027 awards gala is set for Feb. 19 in New York City and is open to toy industry professionals. It is scheduled to kick off Toy Fair 2027, which the source says will run Feb. 20-23. The event will also include inductions into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame. The foundation directs people to toyawards.org to vote for the People’s Choice Award and view finalists.
Recognition Across 17 Toy Categories
The finalist list offers a snapshot of the kinds of products and brands competing for recognition across a broad section of the toy market. Its categories cover both traditional playthings, such as dolls, plush toys and action figures, and products framed around construction, education, technology and older fans. The nominations also put established entertainment properties and licensed products alongside games and toys that do not rely on a named franchise.
For families and gift buyers, the list can serve as a guide to products receiving industry attention, but a nomination is not a safety or quality assessment and does not establish that a toy is suitable for every child. Buyers should check each product’s age grading, instructions and small-parts warnings, and consult the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall information before purchasing if they have concerns. The awards also have a fundraising purpose: executive director Pamela Mastrota said the program raises funds to bring play to children who need it.
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From Chicago Announcement to February Gala
The finalists were announced at the Chicago Toy & Game Fair, also referred to in the source as CHITAG, in Rosemont, Illinois. The awards program now moves toward its planned February ceremony in New York, where the foundation says the winners will be announced and industry figures inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame.
The awards distinguish among 17 categories rather than naming only one overall product. The source material lists products under the categories and identifies a public vote for the People’s Choice Award, but does not provide a separate voting deadline or explain how public voting relates to the category winners. The full finalist list is available through the awards website, according to the report.
““Behind every great toy is the opportunity to spark joy, inspire imagination, and make a child’s day brighter.””
— Pamela Mastrota, executive director of The Toy Foundation
Voting and Winner Details Pending
The source confirms that 122 finalists were announced and that winners are expected at the February gala, but it does not identify the eventual winners or say how many awards will be presented in each category. It also does not specify the People’s Choice voting deadline, the voting rules, or whether public votes determine that award alone or affect other results.
The supplied finalist list is incomplete: it stops partway through the Playset of the Year category, after naming the Hot Wheels City Ultimate T-Rex Garage and beginning a Little Tikes entry. The full slate of 122 products therefore cannot be verified from the material provided here. The source also does not give an exact calendar date for the Saturday finalist announcement.
Results Set for February 19
The next stated milestone is the Feb. 19, 2027 awards gala in New York City, where the winners are scheduled to be announced. The ceremony is set to precede Toy Fair 2027, listed for Feb. 20-23, and to include Toy Industry Hall of Fame inductions. Readers interested in the public-vote award can check toyawards.org for voting access and the full finalist slate; the source does not state when voting closes.
Key Questions
How many finalists were named for the 2027 Toy of the Year Awards?
The Toy Foundation announced 122 finalists across 17 categories.
When and where will the winners be announced?
Winners are scheduled to be announced at a gala on Feb. 19, 2027, in New York City. The source says the event is open exclusively to toy industry professionals.
Can the public vote on the finalists?
The foundation directs people to toyawards.org to vote for the People’s Choice Award and explore the finalists. The source does not give a voting deadline or describe the voting rules.
Which companies have products among the finalists?
The reported finalists include products from Mattel, Hasbro, Spin Master, The LEGO Group, Just Play, Moose Toys, MGA Entertainment and Thames & Kosmos, among others.
Does a nomination mean a toy is appropriate for every child?
No. A finalist designation is an award nomination, not an individual suitability or safety determination. Caregivers should review age guidance and product warnings and check CPSC recall information when evaluating a toy.
Source: toybook.com
