The Toy Book® Reveals 2026 Pulse of Play Awards™ Winners

The toy industry awards program honors outstanding achievement in the business of play across 20 categories.

NEW YORK and CHICAGO, Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Toy Book®, The Official Trade Publication Serving the North American Toy Industry since 1984™, reveals the winners for its second annual Pulse of Play Awards™.

After a breakout debut, the Pulse of Play Awards program returns to show the world who's making noise in toys, games, licensing, and everything that fuels the business of play.

"The toy industry thrives on creativity and bold ideas from people who don't think inside boxes. That energy carries far beyond toys, influencing experiences, products, and adjacent industries worldwide. The Pulse of Play Awards honors the hustle, imagination, and relentless drive for excellence that define this business," said James Zahn, Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book and Director of The Pulse of Play Awards. "We congratulate all of this year's winners and look forward to celebrating them in The BIG Toy Book, debuting February 14 at Toy Fair New York."

The 2026 Pulse of Play Awards Winners

MARKETING MAESTROS

• PRODUCT LAUNCH OF THE YEAR: MGA Entertainment | Bratz X Mean Girls Spring Fling Collector Dolls
• JUVENILE PRODUCT LAUNCH OF THE YEAR: United States Postal Service | Flybar x USPS Foot-to-Floor Toy
• CULTURAL MOMENT OF THE YEAR: Hasbro | Peppa Pig Introduces Baby Evie
• INFLUENCER ACTIVATION OF THE YEAR: Moose Toys | Gui Gui Slime Boutique Pop-Up
• VIRAL HIT OF THE YEAR: Funko | KPop Demon Hunters POP! Vinyl Figures
• THE CINEMATIC ART OF SELLING FUN: COMMERCIAL OF THE YEAR: Spin Master | "YES CHEF!" Kinetic Sand Squish Pizza

CREATORS & INNOVATORS

• TOY INVENTOR OF THE YEAR: Loops Lab, Yona Segev
• GAME INVENTOR OF THE YEAR: Hootenanny Games | Barry McLaughlin and Jason Lautenschleger for Feelin' Cute
• DIGITAL STUDIO/TEAM OF THE YEAR: Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development
• LOCATION-BASED EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR: The LEGO Group | San Diego LEGO-Con at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2025

PURVEYORS OF PLAY

• DISPLAY OF THE YEAR: Paladone | WeCool Toys at Yas Mall's Toys "R" Us in Abu Dhabi
• DISTRIBUTOR OF THE YEAR: Asmodee North America
• RETAILER OF THE YEAR (Independent, Specialty, and Hobby): Five Little Monkeys
• RETAILER OF THE YEAR (Mass/Mass Specialty): Five Below
• THE CHALLENGER: PMI Kids' World
• MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR: Mattel

THE LICENSING BOOK

• CROSSOVER COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR: Basic Fun! | Care Bears x Wicked: For Good (Universal Products & Experiences x Cloudco Entertainment)
• LICENSED COLLABORATION/PROGRAM OF THE YEAR: Jazwares x Netflix | Stranger Things x Jazwares
• ENTERTAINMENT-DRIVEN PROPERTY OF THE YEAR: Netflix | KPop Demon Hunters

THE OVERALL PULSE OF PLAY AWARD
This award honors outstanding achievements in all categories of the business of play, including retail, manufacturing, design, sales, and beyond.

• Jazwares

Nominees were submitted by authorized representatives and members of an anonymous, independent industry panel last fall. Finalists were revealed last month and voted on by the panel and members of the Adventure Media & Events team to determine this year's winners.

The Toy Book's 42nd volume begins on February 14, 2026, with this year's edition of The BIG Toy Book debuting at Toy Fair New York. The Toy Book and its sister publications, The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, can be found in Booth No. 3055 at the Javits Center, February 14-17.

Plans are already underway for the 2027 Pulse of Play Awards. The nomination period for the third annual program will open this summer. Visit pulseofplayawards.com for more information.

About The Toy Book
The Toy Book®, published by Adventure Media & Events, has been on the Pulse of Play™ as The Official Trade Publication Serving the North American Toy Industry since 1984™. Its seasoned editorial staff maintains close relationships with retailers, manufacturers, industry analysts, and market research groups to keep its finger on the pulse of what's hot and what's next. The Toy Book covers toys, games, licensing, video games, kids and family entertainment, business trends, retail, and more. Its first issue debuted in print at the North American International Toy Fair in New York in February 1985. The Toy Book also publishes The Toy Report®, an industry newsletter released on Thursday mornings.

About Adventure Media & Events
Adventure Media & Events, LLC (AM&E) is the publisher of The Toy Book®, The Official Trade Publication Serving the North American Toy Industry since 1984™; The Toy Insider®, the leading consumer guide to kids' toys, tech, and entertainment; The Pop Insider®, the only publication dedicated exclusively to licensed merchandise for "kidults" and pop culture enthusiasts; and The Licensing Book®, a trade publication serving the licensing industry. The company also produces live events and awards programs for B2B, media, and consumer audiences, including The Toy Insider's Holiday Gift Guide™, Sweet Suite®, Holiday of Play®, The Toy Book's Pulse of Play Awards™, and The Pop Insider's Collectors' Choice Awards™.

Media Contact:
Elizabeth Tran
LKPR, Inc.
[email protected]
973-885-0056 (mobile)

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SOURCE The Toy Book