Pokemon and The Mandalorian were big winners in the Toy of the Year Awards, awarded by the Toy Association.  The awards ceremony is normally held at a live event during New York Toy Fair, but was held virtually this year due to Covid.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian was the License of the Year, with the property also tied to three other awards.  Star Wars: The Child Animatronic Edition was awarded Toy of the Year and Innovative Toy of the Year; and Star Wars: The Mandalorian The Child 11" Plush took the Plush Toy of the Year.

Pokemon TCG Battle Academy, a board game adaptation of the TCG (see "The Pokemon Company Unveils ‘Battle Academy’") won Game of the Year.

The Todd McFarlane Kickstarter project The Original Spawn Action Figure and Comic Remastered was a co-winner of the People’s Choice Award.

We also took note of two of the four inductees into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame: Pleasant Rowland, founder of American Girl (and a native of ICv2’s home town, Madison, Wisconsin), and Philip Bloom, founder and former publisher of The Bloom Report, which was sold to Mary Couzin’s Chicago Toy & Game Group last year (see "Chitag Takes Over ‘The Bloom Report’").