Play Creators Awards 2021 welcomes new category in Inventor Relations Exec of the Year; nominations now open

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

The Play Creators Awards will celebrate figures in the toy and game design community that have excelled over the last 12 months, and this year welcomes a new category in Inventor Relations Exec of the Year.

The full line-up of 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’ Game)
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 (Party Game)
Aimed at a more mature audience than our Kids’ Game category, this award celebrates designers or invention studios behind the year’s top party games.

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.

Inventor Relations Exec of the Year
This Award celebrates figures working in Inventor Relations that have excelled over the past 12 months. 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.

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.

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 board game 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 Friday, May 21st 2021.

Finalists for each category will be announced in June, 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 relevant – to [email protected], along with some reasons as to why they should win the accolade.

For sponsorship opportunities, email [email protected].

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