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People of Play announced winners across 10 categories at the 19th annual TAGIE Awards ceremony on Nov. 6 in Rosemont, Illinois. Pleasant Rowland received the Lifetime Achievement Award, while Exploding Kittens co-founders Elan Lee and Matthew Inman received the Industry Game Changer Award.
People of Play, a division of The Toy Association, announced winners of the 19th annual Toy & Game Innovation Excellence (TAGIE) Awards at a Nov. 6 ceremony in Rosemont, Illinois. The awards recognized work across 10 categories, from toy and game innovation to design, marketing, sales and industry partnerships.
Pleasant Rowland, founder of American Girl, received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Elan Lee and Matthew Inman, co-founders of Exploding Kittens, were recognized with the Industry Game Changer Award. The ceremony took place at Joe’s Live Concert Venue and was hosted by Ashley Eckstein, the original voice of Ahsoka Tano.
Among the category winners, Alex Wilde, Cody Hampton and Jessica Kaups won Toy Innovator of the Year for ages 0–13 for Disney: Batuu Adventure Buddies, Ewok. The Goliath Clickeez team won the ages 13+ toy category for Clickeez Series 3: Bubble Pops. Cross the Line won the Game Innovator of the Year award for ages 0–13, with Joe Barron, Sophia Ricciardi, David Yakos, Brady Peterson, Danielle Standring and Grant Lyon credited for the work.
Other winners included Spin Master Games and inventors Don Ullman and Bob Driscoll in the ages 13+ game category, for Murder Phone, Rubik’s Rush and Jumanji Ultimate Level Electronic Board Game. Kayou won Licensed Product Innovator of the Year for KPop Demon Hunters Collectible Trading Cards. Young Innovator of the Year went to Bryce Mikolajczak for Cell Quest. Winners were selected through public voting by consumers and industry members, according to The Toy Book’s report.
Awards Span the Toy Industry
The TAGIE results recognize contributors across multiple parts of the toy and game business, not just product inventors. The categories also include art and visual design, public relations and marketing, sales, and partnerships, reflecting the range of teams involved in developing and bringing toys and games to market.
For readers, the awards provide a snapshot of products and people receiving recognition from a voting pool that includes both consumers and industry members. The honors do not, by themselves, establish sales performance or broader consumer response. They do show which nominees received the most votes under the award process described by the report.
The recognition of Rowland and the Exploding Kittens founders adds individual career and industry honors alongside the product-category awards. The ceremony also linked the event to a wider franchise milestone: its theme, “The Force of Play,” coincided with the start of celebrations ahead of Star Wars’ 50th anniversary in 2027.
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A Ceremony During POP Week
The TAGIE Awards were founded in 2008 to recognize achievements in the toy and game industry. The 2026 event was the 19th annual ceremony and was held during People of Play’s POP Week, which also includes the Global Inventor Pitch & Innovation Conference, the Young Inventor Challenge and the Chicago Toy & Game Fair.
The event’s Star Wars theme included a special video message from Lucasfilm President and Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni. Attendees received commemorative coins bearing the Star Wars 50th anniversary emblem and the TAGIE Awards logo, according to The Toy Book. The reported awards list names winners in 10 categories, including the honors for Rowland and Lee and Inman.
TAGIE Awards Committee Chairman Robb LaFlamme, Disney Parks Retail and Development’s director of hardlines, said the theme connected the ceremony with the franchise anniversary celebrations. The awards were sponsored by companies including Disney, Duracell, Kickstarter, Hasbro, Mattel and University Games, alongside other listed sponsors.
“The TAGIE Awards are a celebration of the creativity, passion, and collaboration that make the toy and game industry so extraordinary.”
— Robb LaFlamme, TAGIE Awards Committee chairman
Voting and Award Details
The report says winners were determined through public voting by consumers and industry members, but it does not provide vote totals, the voting period, eligibility rules or the split between voter groups. It also does not state how many nominees were considered in each category or provide additional detail on how ties or voting disputes would be handled.
The announcement identifies the winners and their credited products or teams, but it does not report sales figures, product availability changes or the broader commercial effect of the awards. Those outcomes should not be inferred from the honors alone.
POP Week and Anniversary Events
The TAGIE ceremony was one event in People of Play’s annual POP Week, alongside its inventor conference, youth competition and toy and game fair. The supplied report does not give dates for any further 2026 POP Week activities or announce additional TAGIE-related events.
Celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Star Wars in 2027 are expected to continue beyond the ceremony, but the report does not specify a schedule or describe planned events. The next confirmed developments would be further announcements from People of Play or the organizations involved in those celebrations.
Key Questions
Who received the 2026 TAGIE Lifetime Achievement Award?
Pleasant Rowland, founder of American Girl, received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Who won the Industry Game Changer Award?
Elan Lee and Matthew Inman, co-founders of Exploding Kittens, received the Industry Game Changer Award.
How were the TAGIE winners chosen?
The Toy Book reported that winners were determined through public voting by consumers and industry members. The report did not give vote counts or further details about the process.
Where and when was the ceremony held?
The 19th annual ceremony took place on Nov. 6 at Joe’s Live Concert Venue in Rosemont, Illinois.
What does TAGIE stand for?
TAGIE stands for the Toy & Game Innovation Excellence Awards. People of Play, a division of The Toy Association, presents the annual awards.
Source: toybook.com
