Product of the Year Awards

Product of the Year Awards

Product of the Year Awards

The ATA Program of Awards is an integral part of the Australian Toy Hobby and Licensing Fair as it aims to celebrate the outstanding performances achieved by our industry through products, licenses and individual successes.

With the exception of the Judges’ Choice Award, and Kids’ Choice Award, which are predictive, our Product of the Year Awards recognises products that have been successful in the Australian market in the year prior to the Fair.

Entries to this award are now closed.

*Due Date: 5 January 2024

Details on our Product Awards program, including categories and criteria are as follows:

Retrospective Awards

  • Action Product of the Year – Products that include action figures, and their play sets / accessories
  • Australian Development Product of the Year – Any toy or children’s product that is 75% or more Australian made content or 100% Australian designed
  • Collectable Product of the Year – Products that are high volume, impulse with repeat purchases.
  • Construction Product of the Year – Products that include building & engineering sets
  • Craft & Activity Product of the Year – Arts and crafts, and other indoor products that inspire creative play through various forms of activity
  • Doll of the Year – Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay, wood, plastic and porcelain and their play sets / accessories
  • Educational or STEAM Product of the Year – Educational games and learning products that are used as props to enhance a child’s development and IQ e.g. memory retention, reading skills, hand eye coordination and math skills
  • Electronic Product of the Year – Physical products that are electronic or interact with a smartphone, tablet or gaming device
  • Game of the Year – Children’s board, card, electronic or other physical game formats and puzzles (does not include video games or apps)
  • Hobby Product of the Year – Models, RC and powered or non-powered vehicles and their play sets / accessories
  • Infant/Pre-School Product of the Year – Products that are developed for infants / pre-schoolers (up to 5 years)
  • Outdoor Product of the Year – Products that are designed for active, outdoor play
  • Plush Product of the Year – Dolls or products made from fabric as of silk, cotton, wool etc.
  • Specialty Product of the Year – Products primarily distributed through specialty retailers
  • OVERALL PRODUCT OF THE YEAR – chosen from the award winners of all categories

Entry Criteria – all categories:

  • Product must be suitable for children 0-13 (Except Infant/Pre-School which is up to 5 years)
  • Entry to the Product of the Year awards is open to Toy Fair exhibitors only
  • Must be new product first released in Australia after 31 October 2022 and up to 1 November 2023
  • Maximum of two entries per category, per exhibitor
  • Entry must be an individual product (assortments accepted)
  • An entry cannot be submitted into more than one category

Specialty Award – additional criteria:

  • Product is not advertised on TV
  • Entries only accepted from companies with less than ten employees
  • Product is not licensed
  • Products primarily distributed through specialty retailers (i.e. not a Major Retailer or Department Store)

Australian Development Award – additional criteria:

The adjudication of the Australian Development Award is also based on the following adjudication criteria:

  • 75% or more Australian made content or
  • 100% Australian designed.

Entries based on either of the adjudication items must be accompanied by support documentation and signed declaration that the product meets one or both of these criteria.

Submission Format:

Each product nomination must address each criteria, explaining to the judges why the product is deserving of recognition and how it fulfils the judging criteria including sales & marketplace acceptance.

Judges & Judging Criteria:

Judging of all awards will be carried out by Independent Industry Experts including retailers, journalists, industry professionals and aligned Association leaders. Judging will be based on the following criteria:

  • Creativity and Originality
  • Design and Quality
  • Play Value
  • Marketing and Promotion (NB: This is based on the creativeness of the marketing / promotional campaign)
  • Sales and Marketplace Acceptance

Educational/STEAM Additional Judging Criteria:

  • Educational Value