Only a few weeks left to get your nominations in for this year’s Play Creators Awards 2023

There are only a few weeks to send in your nominations for this year’s Play Creators Awards, an event celebrating the best in toy and game design and invention.

The deadline to get nominations in is Friday, April 28th 2023.

This year’s Play Creators Awards will take place on Tuesday, June 27th at Stamford Bridge’s Under the Bridge venue.

The event will celebrate figures and teams in the toy and game design community that have excelled over the last 12 months.

The full line-up of categories available to nominate are:

Toy Designer of the Year (Sponsored by Jazwares)
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.
What we need: Name of person or team, product name & reasons why they should win.

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Game Designer of the Year (Kids & Family Game)
This award is for inventors and designers behind the best and brightest in the world of kids’ games. Celebrate the brains behind the games and get nominating!
What we need: Name of person, studio or team, product name & reasons why they should win.

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Game Designer of the Year (Party Game)
Aimed at a more mature audience, this award celebrates the in-house designers or external inventors and studios behind the year’s top party games.
What we need: Name of person, studio or team, product name & reasons why they should win.

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Invention Studio/Design Agency of the Year (Sponsored by Hasbro)
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.
What we need: Name of studio or agency & reasons why they should win.

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Inventor Relations Exec of the Year(Sponsored by Toy Association)
Whether it’s due to commendable conduct with the inventor community or for being instrumental in finding and championing successful inventor items, this is a category to highlight the phenomenal work being done by individuals working in IR across the past year.
What we need: Name of IR exec & reasons why they should win.

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R&D Team of the Year (Sponsored by Toy Association)
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.
What we need: Name of R&D team & reasons why they should win.

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Toy Designer of the Year (Licensed Product) (Sponsored by design_lead_play_)
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.
What we need: Name of person, studio or team, product name & reasons why they should win.

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Game Designer of the Year (Licensed Product) (Sponsored by Wynne-Jones IP)
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.
What we need: Name of person, studio or team, product name & reasons why they should win.

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Play Innovator of the Year (Sponsored by ToyZone)
Whether through fresh thinking or tech twists, the Play Innovation of the Year award celebrates designers driving innovation in the toy and game space.
What we need: Name of person, studio or team, product name & reasons why they should win.

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Unsung Hero Award – NEW FOR 2023!
A model making superstar? An organisational whizz? A secret weapon within your IR team? This award sings the praises of those who maybe don’t always get the credit they deserve.
What we need: Name of person & reasons why they should win.

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Artist of the Year – NEW FOR 2023!
This award celebrates in-house graphic designers, illustrators and art directors – as well as external talent – that have done phenomenal work in our industry across the past 12 months.
What we need: Name of person & reasons why they should win.

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Rising Star Award (Sponsored by Ridley’s games)
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.
What we need: Name of person & reasons why they should win.

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Icon Award (Sponsored by Moose Toys)
This award celebrates 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.
What we need: Name of person & reasons why they should win.

The deadline to get nominations in is Friday, April 28th 2023.

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

To nominate, email the name of your nominated person or team – and the name of the product, if nominating for a product category – to [email protected], along with some reasons as to why they should win the accolade.

If nominating for a product category, the product category has to have launched between Summer 2022 and this coming Summer 2023.

For sponsorship opportunities, email [email protected].

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