Lifetime Achievement Honorees

16th TOY & GAME INNOVATION EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Information about Nominating Lifetime Achievement Candidates

2023 TAGIEs Disney's JoAnn McLaughlin, Hasbro's Brian Chapman and Alan Hassenfeld, Tomy's Kantaro Tomiyama, Disney's Karri Bean, Mattel's Ray Adler, BIHOF Films' James Howard, Mattel's Dave Harris, The Playmaker's Tim Walsh, Oxford Game's Leslie Scott, Product Counsel's Rob Yusim, KID Design's Alicia and Dan Klitsner, Spin Master's Ben Varadi, POP & ASTRA's Gene Murtha, The Michael Kohner Corp's Michael Kohner, Longshore's Wai Or

2023 POP Lifetime Achievement Nomination Process

An important element of People at Play and the TAGIEs is recognizing individuals who have made exceptional contributions and provided outstanding service to the Play industries.

Candidates for Lifetime Achievement
Consideration for the Lifetime Achievement Award shall be limited to individuals (living or deceased) who have made exceptional contributions and provided outstanding service to the Play industries. The candidate(s) should have accomplishments such as:

Long experience and record of accomplishment in the play industry.
Innovative product or marketing introductions.
Charitable efforts benefiting children and/or children’s causes.
An unimpeachable record of integrity and respect in the industry.

Exceptional people who have been honored for Lifetime Achievement

2008 - Jeffrey Breslow

2009 - Reuben Klamer

2010 - Eddy Goldfarb

2011 - Burt Meyer

2012 - Theo and Ora Coster

2013 - Howard Morrison

2014 - Michael Kohner and The Kohner Family

2015 - Richard Maddocks

2016 - Reyn Guyer

2017 - Adi Golad

2017 - Judy Blau

2018 - Paul Rago and David Small

2018 - Ivan Moscovich

2020 - Erno Rubik

2021 - Tom Kalinske

2021 - Michelle Litzky

2021 - Pressman Family

2022 - Leslie Scott, Kantaro Tomiyama, and Alan Hassenfeld

DATES AND DEADLINES:
June 27th - Nominations Open, Including Lifetime Achievement

July 26th - Lifetime Achievement Nominations Submissions Close

Early September - Lifetime Achievement Honorees Announced

Eligibility - Nominators
All stakeholders within the Play industries are eligible to submit candidates for consideration. Candidates will be submitted as part of the TAGIE nominations ballot to the Lifetime Achievement Award Committee by July 26, 2023.

No current voting member of Lifetime Achievement Award Committee may be nominated for Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Lifetime Achievement Award Committee will meet in August 2023 to review the nominations received and a maximum of three nominees will be selected by the Committee.

The CHITAG/POP Advisory Board Reviews Submissions/Nominations:

John Barbour - Managing Partner Volta Capital
Karri Bean - Board Chair and Senior Manager, Licensing at Disney Park, Experiences and Consumer Products
Peggy Brown - Inventor, Playwright, Designer, Author, Filmmaker, Funmaker
Mary Couzin - President, Founder, Chicago Toy & Game Group
Robert Fuhrer - Owner at Nextoy LLC and KenKen Puzzle
Richard Gill - Chief Explorer Monster, PlayMonster International
Adi Golad - Founder and Managing Director of Goliath
Rachel Griffin - Co-Founder, Playwise Partners
Dougal Grimes - Vice President of Innovation and Inventor Relations at Spin Master
Alan Hassenfeld - Chairman, Exec. Committee, Hasbro; Chairman, Hassenfeld Family Initiatives
Dave Harris - Director, Inventor Relations and Strategic Partnerships, Mattel
Dan Klitsner - Founder, KID Group
Matt Nuccio - President of DesignEdge
Phil Sage - Senior Director : Design & Innovation HUB, North America, PepsiCo
Gary Swisher - Inventor, formerly EVP of D&D for Spin Master and VP and GM of Inventor Relations and Games at Mattel
Angus Walker - Head of Inventor Relations & External Innovation at Hasbro
Tim Walsh - Co-Founder, Roo Games; Filmmaker, Author, Designer, Creative Consultant, The Playmakers
David Yakos - Creativity Director, Co-Owner, Salient Technologies