What are the Designer Toy Awards?
The Designer Toy Awards (DTAs) are the leading awards honoring excellence and innovation in the Designer Toy community. Established in 2011, the DTAs are presented by the Clutter Media Group — a leading informational organization within Designer Toys, a field that after more than a decade has become a prominent and legitimate form of artistic and commercial expression as well as a leader in global trendsetting.
Reflecting the tremendous and ongoing growth of the Designer Toy community, the DTAs celebrate the best of the community’s artists, designers, and brands, as well as honoring those involved in championing Designer Toys throughout the world. Members of the DTA Board select the majority of finalists and winners in each category from the nominees, however you — the online community — determine finalists and, in some cases, winners by voting for nominated work, individual or brand that you believe to be the best in each category.
What is the difference between a Nominee, Finalist, and Winner?
Anyone that is nominated and eligible for even a single category is a nominee, denoting that they have been nominated for an award; nominees are not publicly disclosed or listed on the website. Through a process of selected committee voting, nominees in each category will be selected as finalists. Finalists are publicly announced and will permanently be recognized on the site for having achieved this honor. It is out of the finalists that a winner in each category is ultimately be determined by the DTA Judging Panel, or by majority public online voting in the case of several categories.
Will I be able to see my Nominations and Votes from previous years?
No, we remove all of nomination and voting data from previous years from our online system, therefore you won't be able to see any of your previous nominations or votes. However your account will still be active, and you will be able to see any new nominations you make, though this does not indicate your nomination will be selected as a finalist.
Can I make a nomination?
YES! There is an open nomination period, during which anyone can nominate an eligible candidate in any category*.
Nominations are anonymous and confidential; we strongly encourage all artists and manufacturers to nominate themselves in any and all applicable categories.
*Categories not open for nominations are: Toy of the Year & Lifetime Achievement.
Why doesn't my nomination appear on the site?
Nominations are not displayed on the site until the Nomination Committee selects the finalists in each category from them, and then only the finalists will be revealed.
Who is eligible to be nominated?
Any artist, designer, brand, collector or member of the press — in short, anyone who has been involved in the Designer Toy community — is eligible to be nominated in at least one category as long as they were active between January 1st, of last year and December 31st, of last year.
Can I vote on nominees?
Six awards are open to voting on by the general public, with registration on the DTA website required for voting. Each registered user may vote only once per category during the open voting period.
Artist of the Year: Fan Choice, Best Blog, Best Toy Store, Best Online Toy Store, Custom of the Year: Fan Choice, and Toy of the Year: Fan Choice: The winner selected in these categories are determined by majority public voting.
Lifetime Achievement and Hall of Fame: These categories have no finalists and the winner will then be selected in a non-public vote without disclosing the short-listed names.
All remaining categories: The ultimate winner in these categories will be determined by DTA Judging Panel.
What do the padlocks mean on the category pages?
The padlocks represent categories that are not open to public voting.
Who is on the Nominating Committee?
The nominating committee determines the finalists in each of the categories. This committee consists of artists, brand owners, members of the press, and others who are active in the creation, discussion, and promotion of worldwide Designer Toy culture. We have selected from a wide range of individuals and created multiple committees in order to minimize conflicts of interest and to ensure impartiality. To ensure impartiality in voting, the membership of our nominating committee isn't publicly revealed.
Can I be a part of the DTA staff/crew?
If you are interested in helping out with the DTA's and dedicating some of your time to helping with the event and its organization please do drop us a line to info@designertoyawards.com. We appreciate it!
Do you have to based in the United States to participate?
No. The DTAs are a global award and there are no location-based restrictions for either nominees and voters.
Do nominations need to be in English?
While we encourage international nominees and participants, all nominations and communications must be written in English.
What do I do if I didn't receive my temporary password?
You should receive information on how to log into your new account within 30 minutes of registering for the site. We are aware that some of the register emails from the site may go into a users spam folder. Please double check your spam folder and if you still can't find an email from us, drop a line info@designertoyawards.com
What do I get if I win a Designer Toy Award or if my entry is chosen as a finalist?
To help promote achievement, the DTAs provide its winners the notable Toy King statuette (one awarded per category, additional statuettes can be purchased for multiple artist entry winners) and a badge for the winners’ website or printed use. Finalists are given a badge for their websites. In addition, all winners and finalists will be included on the appropriate year’s Winners Page of the DTA website.
Do you hold an event that we have to attend to receive our award?
DTA Winners are honored at an awards event held during Five Points Fesitval. While this New York City-based event, it is not mandatory for finalists to attend to receive their award. The ceremony is a major industry gala during which you get to rub elbows with other finalists as well as other leading industry professionals, luminaries and celebrities.
How can I sponsor the Designer Toy Awards?
If you are interested in being considered as a sponsor of the DTAs, contact Josh Kimberg, Managing Partner of the Clutter Studios, via email josh@clutterstudios.com; or phone: 212-255-2505.
Can I rent a list of DTA voters, nominees, or winners?
No. We do not rent or sell our voter, entrant or winner lists.
