International Licensing Excellence Award winners at are revealed at Licensing Expo 2013, with Activision’s Skylanders named Overall Best Licensed Program of the Year.
LAS VEGAS, NV – The top licensed properties and products of the past year have earned their highest honors: International Licensing Excellence Awards from the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA). Skylanders by Activision Publishing was named Overall Best Licensed Program of the Year and Hot Topic received the Best Retailer of the Year Award for The Hunger Games. This year’s 15 Awards recipients were chosen from a ballot of stellar nominees via an industry-wide search and determined by a vote of LIMA’s membership. The winners of the industry’s most prestigious annual Awards were announced tonight at the LIMA Awards Ceremony during Licensing Expo 2013.
“It was a tough competition this year, as there were so many wonderful licensed properties and programs from all around the world to choose from – and our members rose to the challenge with a list of deserving honorees,” said LIMA President Charles Riotto. “The 2013 Award winners delivered outstanding entertainment value to consumers on a global scale, while helping to lead licensing industry growth for the second consecutive year.”
LIMA’s International Licensing Excellence Awards honor the best, most successful licensed properties, products and campaigns in five distinct categories: Art or Design; Character or Toy Brand; Corporate Brand; Film, Television, Celebrity or Entertainment; and Sports. In addition, awards are presented for the Best Licensed Promotion of the Year, Best Retailer of the Year and Overall Best Licensed Program of the Year.
The latest crop of Awards winners (listed by category) are:
ART OR DESIGN
Best Art or Design Program of the Year The Very Hungry Caterpillar/The World of Eric Carle (by Eric Carle Studio/The Joester Loria Group)
Best Art or Design Licensee of the Year Kids Preferred for The Very Hungry Caterpillar/The World of Eric Carle)
CHARACTER OR TOY BRAND
Best Character or Toy Brand Program of the Year Skylanders (by Activision Publishing, Inc.)
Best Character or Toy Brand Licensee of the Year – Hard Goods LEGO (for Marvel Super Heroes)
Best Character or Toy Brand Licensee of the Year – Soft Goods Alfred Angelo (for Disney Fairy Tale Weddings)
CORPORATE BRAND
Best Corporate Brand Program of the Year HGTV HOME (by HGTV HOME/Beanstalk)
Best Corporate Brand Licensee of the Year Sherwin-Williams (for HGTV HOME)
FILM, TELEVISION, CELEBRITY, OR ENTERTAINMENT
Best Film, Television, Celebrity, or Entertainment Program of the Year Marvel’s The Avengers (by The Walt Disney Company/Marvel Entertainment)
Best Film, Television, Celebrity, or Entertainment Licensee of the Year – Hard Goods CVS/Pharmacy (for NUANCE Salma Hayek)
Best Film, Television, Celebrity, or Entertainment Licensee of the Year – Soft Goods Vans (for Yo Gabba Gabba!)
SPORTS
Best Sports Program of the Year National Basketball Association
Best Sports Licensee of the Year Junk Food Clothing Co. (for Vintage NFL)
PROMOTION
Best Licensed Promotion of the Year 50 Years the Art of Soup: Campbell Soup Company (for Andy Warhol at Target)
RETAILER
Best Retailer of the Year Hot Topic (for The Hunger Games)
OVERALL BEST LICENSED PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
Skylanders (by Activision Publishing, Inc.)
For a full list of this year’s nominees and more information about the annual Awards program, visit the LIMA website, www.licensing.org.
Source: International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
