An ever-growing number of toy awards are announced each year to celebrate the best new products on the market. Magazines such as Mother & Baby, Practical Parenting and Baby & Pregnancy all run their own awards - and the National Association of Toy & Leisure Libraries organises The Good Toy Awards which are announced each year. Worth keeping an eye on is the TOTY Awards which are run by the U.S based Toy Industry Association.
In the UK, most eyes are on the Toy of the Year Award which is announced at a spectacular dinner that takes place during the London Toy Fair each January. This event recognises the toys that have been in demand during the previous year, and the manufacturers and suppliers face a mixture of elation or disappointment. Also announced at this event are the awards for the best retailer and best supplier.
Our very own Toy Industry Twitterwards celebrate the best use of Twitter among various corners of the toy industry. Winners are awarded in the categories of Best Retailer, Supplier and Commentator.
Our own toy awards were created to give the nation's independent toy retailers a voice in the lead-up to Christmas... a time when most press reporting is skewed towards the predictions of a few big-name toy retailers.
This ceremony is really all about celebrating excellence in the industry - and there three main awards that everyone keeps a close eye on...
This prestigious annual award takes place at the British Toy Fair each January.
This hotly contested award is announced at the Gala Dinner on the opening night of London's Toy Fair.
The Toy Retailer of Year is always one of the most hotly contested awards at London Toy Fair's annual gala dinner.
As well as awards for retailers and suppliers, there is also a prize for the toy personality of the year presented on the opening night of Toy Fair.
Sponsored by the Nursery Today trade magazine, the BANTA awards were created to reward excellence within the nursery industry.
Designed to reward excellence in educational and childcare products, this is one of the longest running awards of its kind.
This award is to give recognition to those individuals who have given a special or long service to the toy industry.
This award recognises and honours people for their outstanding achievements during their working life within the toy industry.
In the lead up to Christmas, NATLL used to publish a comprehensive guide to the best toys available. We are very grateful to have been able to publish some of the articles from the guide on this website.
In addition to the awards outlined above, it's also worth noting that from July each year, many High Street retailers publish their predictions of what they think will be the top toys for Christmas. These lists however, are more based around their own buying selections, rather than taking a more overall view of the toy business.
Collectables ranges including figures, stickers and trading cards.
Genuine eco-friendly wooden toys for kids up to 12 years old.
Sells a wide range of jigsaw puzzles and accessories.
