The Licensing Awards: The 2023 Finalists in Full

The Licensing Awards has once again attracted a phenomenal number of entries and nominations for 2023 across all the categories. Some 3,500 products were entered across the 11 Product awards categories, with the finalists being arrived at by some 250 retail buyers across the whole gamut of licensed and consumer products. These included executives from Tesco, Asda, Marks & Spencer, TruffleShuffle, My 1st Years, Card Factory, FatFace, Moonpig, TJ Morris, Next, Paultons Park, DFS, Character.com, The Works, HMV, The Entertainer, Fraser Group, Ted Baker, Vanilla Underground, Lakeland, Morrisons, JoJo Maman Bébé, Home Bargains, Sainsbury’s, Specsavers and B&M Stores.

Konami Cross Media NY Awards Latest Yu-Gi-Oh! Toy and Gaming Licenses

Konami Cross Media NY, Inc, which manages the Yu-Gi-Oh! licensing rights outside of Asia, announced partnership agreements with TOMY International, Inc, Heathside Trading, Ltd, and Trade Invaders. The agreements will bring new Yu-Gi-Oh! product lines in the toy and game licensing categories, extending the brand’s visibility and availability throughout Europe. The announcement was made at Licensing Expo ‘23 by Jennifer Coleman, Vice President of Licensing and Marketing, Konami Cross Media NY.

eeBoo Prepares for Back-to-School with Helpful and Educational New Products

Environmentally conscious, woman owned, and mother run toys and goods company eeBoo understands that back-to-school preparation can never happen too soon. For 2023, eeBoo has curated a host of helpful and educational products for different age groups to make this school year a happy and healthy one. 

The 20th Annual Chicago Toy & Game Fair ‘CHITAG’ Resumes In-Person Event on December 10 & 11, 2022

On December 10th and 11th the 2022 Holiday Chicago Toy & Gift Fair (CHITAG), North America’s largest toy & game fair open to the public, will be resuming their annual in-person event after a 2-year hiatus due to COVID. This marks the 20th year for CHITAG, which will take place at a new venue this year: the Donald J. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont (5555 N River Rd Rosemont, IL 60018).    As one of the only toy and game fairs open to the public, thousands of families expected to attend will experience immersive events, interactive exhibits and activities for all ages. This year’s highlights include a Gel Blaster Activation, craft and build at the Spaghetteez booth, fan favorite the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, Giant Jenga games, the Beer and Board Game Garden is back, plus magicians and characters including Greg Heffley from Diary of a Wimpy Kid, sports mascots, and booths with the hottest holiday toys and games from industry leading companies. 

Emmy Award-Winning Writer/Producer Craig Gerber Extends Overall Development Deal With Disney Branded Television

Emmy Award winner Craig Gerber, the creative force behind Disney’s acclaimed series Sofia the First, Elena of Avalor and its newest hit Firebuds, has extended his overall development deal with Disney Branded Television. Gerber also wrote the television movie that launched Disney’s first little girl princess, Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess, which debuted 10 years ago (Nov. 18, 2012) and remains TV’s #1 cable telecast of all time among Girls 2-5.

People of Play Announce Winners of the 15th Annual TAGIE Awards

More than 300 people from 20 countries gathered under the lights at the Epiphany Center for the Arts in Chicago, and another 260 via livestream, to celebrate and honor the winners of People of Play’s 15th annual Toy & Game International Excellence Awards (The TAGIE Awards). The event, which was back in person for the first time in two years, was sponsored by Disney, Oxford Games, Mattel, The Michael Kohner Corporation, Hasbro, TOMY, Longshore, Nextoy, Spin Master, Super Impulse, Backdrop.com, Peggy Brown Creative and Barry and Jason.

People of Play Announce Details of the 15th Annual TAGIE Awards, Including Lifetime Honorees

People of Play, the organization known for championing toy and game innovators around the world, will honor outstanding achievements at the 15th Annual Toy & Game International Excellence Awards (The TAGIEs) on November 19, 2022. Under the theme “The Great Reconnect” and sponsored by Disney, Oxford Games, Mattel, The Michael Kohner Corporation, Hasbro, TOMY, Longshore and Nextoy, the evening’s festivities, which kick-off at 6:00pm, will take place for the first time at the Epiphany Center for the Arts in Chicago. The 1800’s historic building which was once a church has become a cultural hub for art, entertainment and events. The after-party will begin immediately after the TAGIEs inside The Catacombs beneath the hall. 

Nickelodeon and Mattel Television Greenlight Sequel to Monster High-Action Movie Musical

Following the success of Monster High The Movie, Nickelodeon and Mattel Television announced that they have greenlit a sequel to the live-action movie musical. Based on the iconic Mattel franchise about the children of famous monsters and creatures, the feature-length TV movie will begin production in January in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and will air on Nickelodeon and stream on Paramount+ in 2023.

Monster High: The Movie ‘Screaming’ Now on Paramount+ and Nickelodeon

With Halloween just around the corner, the ghouls of Monster High: The Movie are finally here to scare up some angsty chills and thrills! Premiering on Nickelodeon and streaming in conjunction on Paramount+, the beloved franchise takes a (furry) foot forward with the first live-action musical movie for the IP! Monster High: The Movie follows Clawdeen Wolf (Miia Harris, Just Beyond), who was born half human and half werewolf, after she arrives at her new school, Monster High. She quickly makes friends with her classmates Frankie Stein (Ceci Balagot, Dispatches from Elsewhere) and Draculaura (Nayah Damasen, “Grey’s Anatomy”), and for the first time in her life, Clawdeen feels like she has finally found a place where she fits in and can truly be herself, despite keeping her human half a secret. When a devious plan to destroy Monster High threatens to reveal her real identity, Clawdeen must learn to embrace her true monster heart and find a way to save the day alongside her new friends.