Welcome to the Play Creators Awards 2025
The Play Creators Awards celebrates those in the toy and game design community that have excelled over the last 12 months. Whether it’s an R&D team responsible for a smash-hit line, a rising star that’s soared or a inventor or design studio responsible for a smash-hit, the PCAs are all about shining a spotlight on the industry’s top architects of play.
This year’s Play Creators Awards will take place on Tuesday, June 24th at Under The Bridge within London’s Stamford Bridge Stadium, Chelsea.
Nominations are open… the finalists 2025 Finalists will be announced soon.
The 2025 Play Creators Awards Finalists
Toy Designer of the Year
Whether bringing innovation to an iconic toy brand, or responsible for the industry’s latest big hit, this award celebrates inventors and designers that have done outstanding work over the past 12 months.
The Finalists are:
• Carlyle Nuera (Mattel) – Barbie You Create (Mattel)
• Designbytouch & Chris Lutchen, Matt Synowicz, Brennan Hunt and Beth Boudin (TOMY) – Doteki (TOMY)
• Emily Ruether (MindWare) – Run the Runway (MindWare)
• Gilad Podgor & Roy Kfir – Tattoomeez (Golden Bear)
• Josh Carlson, Nick Grisolia & Paul Von Mohr (Gee Tree & Mee) – Cheeky Chonks (Spin Master)
• KID Group – FigBands (Jazwares)
• Make It Real Advanced Design Team – Swift Click Heishi Bracelet Maker (Make It Real)
• Moose Toys Girls Team – Gui Gui (Moose Toys)
• Triclops Studio – Terror Fried (Character Options)
Sponsored by
Game Designer of the Year (Kids/Family Games)
This award is for inventors and designers behind the best and brightest in the world of kids’ games. Celebrate the brains behind the games!
The Finalists are:
• Barry & Jason Games and Entertainment – Feelin’ Cute (Hootenanny Games)
• David Yakos (Streamline Design) – Ringer (MindWare)
• Elodie Clément & Théo Rivière – Potion Express (Kiwizou)
• Emma Ribbens (Smart Toys and Games) – The Wolf & The 7 Goats (Smart Toys and Games)
• Fun-Damental Invention & Matt Jordan and Tom Yamazaki (TOMY) – Extreme Silence (TOMY)
• JM Duparc and Identity Games Team – Birdy Call (Identity Games)
• KID Group – Snack-O-Saurus Rex (Spin Master)
• Kim Vandenbroucke – ThinkFun Friends: Tree House (ThinkFun)
• Paul Martinsen (Fuse) – Crash Cats (ThinkFun)
Sponsored by
Game Designer of the Year (Party Games)
This category celebrates the in-house designers or external inventors and studios behind the year’s top party games.
The Finalists are:
• Alena Istif, Chiara Bellavite, Isabeau Rosen, Josh West, Sébastien Eme, Shanon Lyon, Riccardo Fabiani & Valentin Köberlein (Ravensburger) – Oh My Pigeons (Ravensburger)
• Alice & Nick Payne – Bean Counters Inc. (Gibsons)
• Chrissy Fagerholt – Girls in Bar Bathrooms (Mattel)
• Danielle Reynolds & Scott Brady – Caution Signs (Wacky Wizard Games)
• Dyce Studios – First to Worst (Dyce)
• Eric Olsen – Flip 7 (The Op)
• Nextoy & Matt Jordan (TOMY) – Human Controller (TOMY)
• Rodrigo Rego – QuizWiz (Brain Games)
• Ted Getschman & Big Potato Games – Whirly Derby (Big Potato Games)
Sponsored by
R&D Team of the Year
This award celebrates in-house teams that have achieved extraordinary things over the last year.
The Finalists are:
• Bitzee Development Team (Spin Master)
• EXG Pro
• Hot Wheels Speed Snap Track System R&D Team (Mattel)
• Lucky Egg
• Make It Real Advanced Design Team
• Moose Toys
• SMART Toys & Games
• Strikesphere Team (Golden Bear)
• TOMY
• YuMe Toys
Sponsored by
Invention Studio/Design Agency of the Year
This category celebrates studios and agencies that deserves recognition for exceptional work over the last 12 months.
The Finalists are:
• 7pips
• Bang Zoom
• Fun-Damental Invention
• Fuse
• Indy Toy Lab
• JMP Creative
• Open 2 Design
• Seven Towns
• So Sound
• Tantrum Innovation
Sponsored by
Toy Designer of the Year (Licensed/IP-Driven Product)
The first of two awards recognising excellence in licensed product, Toy Designer of the Year (Licensed Product) celebrates creators that have brought much loved characters and IP to life through great toys.
The Finalists are:
• Bang Zoom & Hasbro Preschool Team – Talk & Sing Peppa (Hasbro)
• BMT – Spidey & His Amazing Friends: Spidey Team Split Racer (Jazwares)
• Fuse – Pokémon Beach Battle Playset (Jazwares)
• Moose Licensed Team – Tile Town Bluey Heeler Family Home (Moose Toys)
• Sergio Anna (Craft Buddy) – Disney Crystal Art 2-in-1 Pin Badges (Craft Buddy)
• So Sound – Star Wars Darth Vader Ultimate Mech Force Suit (Hasbro)
• Ste Smith (WITH Creative) – National Geographic Motorized Models (Blue Marble)
• Tantrum Innovation & MBCreations Ltd – Minecraft Click and Switch Sword and Pickaxe (Mattel)
• Tantrum Innovation & MBCreations Ltd – Rubble & Crew Power Tool Pups (Spin Master)
Sponsored by
Game Designer of the Year (Licensed/IP-Driven Product)
This award is for a designer that has given an IP the board game treatment in impressive style via a great licensed game this year.
The Finalists are:
• April Mitchell & Serena Fadlun – RHS Swapple (Gibsons)
• Bryan Bornmueller – The Fellowship of the Ring: Trick Taking Game (Office Dog)
• Buffalo Games Team – Tetris Tumble (Buffalo Games)
• Daryl Andrews & Wolfgang Kramer – Donald Duck in Happy Camper (Maestro Media)
• David Gordon & TAM – LEGO Monkey Palace (Dotted Games)
• Dmitrijus Babičius, Justina Lapinskienė, Marijus Lapinskas & Tadas Kastanauskas – Flow (Brain Games)
• Erica Bouyouris (Spin Master) – Wicked: The Game (Spin Master)
• Brooke Foster, Gavin Waxkirsh & Jim Harrison – The Polaroid Game (Fuel for Fun)
• Tim Walsh (The Playmakers) – A Daily Cloud: The Game (MindWare)
Play Innovator of the Year
Whether through fresh thinking or tech twists, the Play Innovation of the Year award celebrates those driving innovation in our industry.
The Finalists are:
• Austin Hillam & Stephen Fazio (ZipString) – ZipString Luma (ZipString)
• Fun-Damental Invention & Blue Marble – Tie-Dye Dots (Blue Marble)
• JMP Creative & Sky Castle Toys – Sticki Rolls (Sky Castle Toys)
• Ken Scheel – FOROS (KEVA Planks)
• Make It Real Advanced Design Team – Polish & Shine Bead Tumbler (Make It Real)
• Mark Grote (Spin Master) – Tech Deck SK8 Crew 2-in-1 Transforming Ultra SK8 Bus (Spin Master)
• Moose Boys Team – MrBeast Lab Mutators (Moose Toys)
• Nextoy & Yair Shilo – Power Saber (Goliath)
• Raf Peeters (Smart Toys and Games) – IQ Deluxe Series (Smart Toys and Games)
Rising Star Award
Aiming to shine a spotlight on budding inventor talent, this award celebrates inventors who saw their first item land on shelves in past 12 months.
The Finalists are:
• Austin Hillam & Stephen Fazio (ZipString)
• Brooke Cherry (Big Potato Games)
• Grace Newman-Lapinski (Educational Insights)
• Harry Newman (EXG Pro)
• James Sheeler (Mattel)
• Jeremy Shank (TOMY)
• Lauren Heywood-Law (Gibsons)
• Rinat Alima & Tom Dor (Designers)
• Serena Fadlun (Game Designer)
• Shauna McKeon (Big Potato Games)
Inventor Relations Exec of the Year
This award highlights the phenomenal work being done by individuals working in IR across the past year.
The Finalists are:
• Adam Carson, Chris Lutchen & James Wing – TOMY/Fat Brain Toys
• Alex & Whitney Kimerling – Hootenanny Games
• Audrey Watanabe – Mattel
• Brent Geppert – Educational Insights
• Heath Saber – Moose Toys
• Helen De La Cruz – Spin Master
• Mark Garcia – Hasbro
• Magdalena Eichhorn – Jazwares
• Sarah Franco – Mattel
• Tony Serebriany – The Op Games
Sponsored by
Unsung Hero
A model making superstar? An exceptional artist? A secret weapon within your IR team? This award sings the praises of those who maybe don’t always get the credit they deserve.
The Finalists are:
• Adex Costa (EXG Pro)
• Alex Murty (Joking Hazard)
• Christopher Aja (Schylling)
• Gareth Lloyd (Golden Bear)
• Geizi Guevara (Jazwares)
• Jeff Arnold (Sponge Creative)
• Judi Stonecipher (Mattel)
• Lauren Stallard (Gibsons)
• Ryo Yoshihara (YuMe)
• Shaylyn Berntson (IDEO)
Debut of the Year
Aiming to shine a spotlight on budding inventor talent, this award celebrates inventors who saw their first item land on shelves in past 12 months.
The Finalists are:
• Alfie Dix – That’s Crypto, Bro (Bubblegum Stuff)
• Ammon Anderson – Gnome Hollow (The Op)
• Anna Wielach & James Clayson – How to Train Your Dragon 12” Toothless Feature Plush (Spin Master)
• Jamie Smart – Jamie Smart’s Hero Slam (Laurence King Publishing)
• Leonie Grundler – Biome (Lioness Games)
• Michael Bergmann – MAGNA-TILES Rail Racers (MAGNA-TILES)
• Sabrina Gareau (Cheeky Donkey) – Cool Maker Stack’d Heishi Bracelet Studio (Spin Master)
• Stephen Wilson – Bish Bash Bosh (Ginger Fox)
• Rinat Alima & Tom Dor – Roll ‘N’ Hatch (Hape)
Icon Award
This award celebrates iconic figures that have helped shape the industry, truly leaving their footprint in the world of toy and game design.
The winner of this award will be announced on the night.
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