Nominations now open for the Play Creators Awards 2019

Nominations are now open for the Play Creators Awards, an event taking place at the 2019 Play Creators Festival celebrating the best in toy and game design.

Taking place on the evening of Monday, September 2nd 2019 at Under The Bridge (Stamford Bridge), the Play Creators Awards will celebrate figures 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 design agency that’s taken a brief and soared or an individual responsible for the industry’s next playground craze, the Play Creator Awards are all about shining a spotlight on the industry’s brightest design talent.

The categories available to nominate are:

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 a figure that has done outstanding work in toy design over the last 12 months.

Game Designer of the Year (Kids Games)
This award is for designers behind the best and brightest in the world of kids’ games. Fun, silly, educational, or all of the above, we’re looking to celebrate the brains behind the games.

Game Designer of the Year (Tabletop)
With the tabletop space booming, it’s only right that we also celebrate those creating the next big thing in board games. Whether it’s the next big gateway game, a Spiel-de-Jahres contender or a title responsible for pushing through an exciting new mechanic, this award is for those doing something special in the tabletop space.

R&D Team of the Year
In-house at a toy titan, or leading design at a thriving SME, this award celebrates teams working in Research & Development that have achieved extraordinary things over the last year.

Invention Studio/Design Agency of the Year
The secret weapon for many toy firms, design agencies and invention studios are the unsung heroes of our industry. This category celebrates a firm that deserves recognition for exceptional work over the last 12 months.

Toy Designer of the Year (Licensed 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.

Game Designer of the Year (Licensed Product)
This award is for a designer that has given an IP the tabletop treatment in impressive style via a great licensed game this year.

Play Innovator of the Year
Whether it’s via AI, robotics, VR, AR or voice tech, the Play Innovation of the Year award celebrates designers driving innovation in the toy and game space through the integration of the latest and greatest tech.

Rising Star Award
Who are the design legends of the future? Perhaps someone leading one of the industry’s many exciting start-ups, or a young star within your team? If so, nominate them in the Rising Star category.

Design Icon Award
This award celebrate an iconic figure that have helped shape the industry, truly leaving their footprint and a lasting legacy in the world of toy and game design.

The deadline to get nominations in is May 1st 2019.

Finalists for each category will be announced in June 2019, before a panel of experts select winners over a series of roundtable judging sessions.

To nominate, or for information on tickets, head to the Play Creators Awards site here.

For sponsorship opportunities or information on the wider Play Creators Festival, click here.

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