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:

• 2 Much Fun – Make & Bake Pies Playset (Melissa & Doug)
• Cheeky Donkey & Make It Real Advanced Design Team – Quick Twist Bracelet Maker (Make It Real)
• DiscoNifty & Spin Master’s New Brand Group – Magical Jellykins (Spin Master)
• Lucas Tyler & Doug Taylor (Fuse) – Monster High Potion Reveal (Mattel)
• Mary Danby, Nicky Wastie, Chantal Drenthe & Seven Towns – Play-Doh Air Clay Charm & Bracelet Maker (Horizon Group USA)
• Moose Girls Team – Gui Gui Slime Mega Haul (Moose Toys)
• Nynke van Dijk (Goliath) – Clickeez (Goliath)
• Pace Development & Toy Venture – Barbie Roll & Reveal (Mattel)
• Sanne van den Bosch (Goliath) – Princess Castle Jelly Blox (Goliath)
• Tantrum Innovation & Hiram Johnson – Barbie Petal Pop (Mattel)

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This category celebrates the in-house designers or external inventors and studios behind the year’s top party games.

The Finalists are:

• Ceri Price & Natalie Podd – Breadcrumbs (Confident Games)
• Ellie Dix – Roughly (Laurence King Publishing)
• Don Ullman & Bob Driscoll – Murder Phone (Spin Master)
• Big Potato – Noodle Flip (Big Potato)
• Joe Barron, Brady Peterson, David Yakos, Sophia Ricciardi, Grant Lyon & Danielle Standring – Cross the Line (Gray Matters Games)
• Jon Gracey, Viv Egan & Matthew Hancock – You Know It! (Invisible Typewriter)
• Jon Perry – Hot Streak (CMYK)
• K.C. Schrimpl, Corey Schrimpl & Cameron Ring – Burst (Lost Boy Entertainment)
• McMiLLER – DUMMEEZ (McMiLLER)
• Stephen Wilson – You Read My Mind (Ridleys Games)

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This category celebrates studios and agencies that deserves recognition for exceptional work over the last 12 months.

The Finalists are:

• Bang Zoom
• Fugafour
• Fun-Damental Invention
• Fuse
• Indy Toy Lab
• Open 2 Design
• Seven Towns
• So Sound
• Streamline Design
• Tantrum Innovation

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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:

• Arnaud Perez & Yannick Beaulé – PAC-MAN Craze Maze (No Loading Games)
• David Winter (Jazwares) – Love Island: Villa Vibes (Jazwares)
• Jeremy Posner & Ken Gruhl – Survival of the Weirdest (EightyTwo)
• LA Brands – Cryptic Killers: Peaky Blinders (LA Brands)
• Luca Bellini – Brick Like This (Dotted Games)
• TJ Spalty, Nathaniel Basch-Gould, Kyle Hussa-Lietz (Spin Master) & Ghost Galaxy – Hellbreak (Spin Master)
• Don Ullman & Bob Driscoll – Jumanji: The Ultimate Level (Spin Master)
• Moose Games Team – Bluey: Here Comes the Grannies (Moose Toys)
• Moose Games Team – Crunch Labs: Squirrel Dash (Moose Toys)
• Matt Leacock – The Lord of the Rings: Fate of the Fellowship (Z-Man Games)

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:

• Brooke Cherry (Big Potato)
• Emma Costa Lascelles (TOMY)
• Gareth Edwards (Frog Hall Games)
• Heftzi Zion-Mozes & Vered Bahat (2 Much Fun)
• Ian Clayman (Exploding Kittens)
• James Sheeler (Mattel)
• K.C. Schrimpl, Corey Schrimpl & Cameron Ring (Lost Boy Entertainment)
• Stephani Belmonte (Spin Master)
• Stephen Wilson (Ragged Owl Games)
• Tyler Morton (KidKenn)

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This award highlights the phenomenal work being done by individuals working in IR across the past year.

The Finalists are:

• Alex & Whitney Kimerling (Hootenanny Games)
• Becs Henchey (Golden Bear)
• Dan Luther (Hasbro)
• Erik Quam (Smart Toys and Games)
• Helen De La Cruz (Spin Master)
• James Vaughan (Big Potato)
• Lee Allentuck (The Plan A Group)
• Magdalena Eichhorn (Jazwares)
• Tara McGrath (Mattel)
• Tony Serebriany (The Op Games)

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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:

• Amanda Bright (Spin Master)
• Bethan Stone (Big Potato)
• Brian Greenwald (The Op Games)
• Brian Wan (Zuru)
• Judi Stonecipher (Mattel)
• Laurence Andrualt (Seven Towns)
• Mark Aaron, Artist
• Paola Dyboski (Bubbles Not Bombs)
• Paolo Olimpio (EXG Pro)
• Rob Harris (Playtest UK)
• Rory Kelly (Zatu Distribution)