Lima Announces Nominees for the 2007 International Licensing Excellence Awards
New York, NY, April, 2007 -- The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA) today announced the nominees for the Annual LIMA International Licensing Excellence Awards, recognizing the industry's most impressive and successful licensed properties and products from the past year. The Awards will be presented in seven categories at the industry's most prestigious event, the annual LIMA Gala and Awards Ceremony, on June 20 at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square .
Licenses from around the world will be honored in the following seven categories: Art, Character, Corporate, Film , Television & Entertainment, Retailer, and Promotions, as well as the Overall Best License of the Year. In addition to acknowledging the Best Property of the year within each category, awards will be presented for the Best Licensee Hard Goods and Best Licensee Soft Goods.
"In recent years, the number of entries received for consideration in the International Licensing Excellence Awards has increased dramatically, particularly in the Corporate category," says Charles Riotto, president of LIMA . "This response is indicative of the importance and prestige that the licensing industry continues to place on the LIMA Awards. We're anticipating that this year's Gala will once again sell out quickly."
"With over 160 entries, we saw another record year for the number of submissions the committee had to review," adds Peter Van Raalte, Awards Committee chair and senior vice president of The Joester Loria Group. "It was an exciting and innovative year for the licensing industry, and our lineup of nominees underscores the most noteworthy of those properties and programs for 2006."
For this year's Awards, LIMA revised the process by which nominated properties and products are reviewed and evaluated, resulting in a more measurable system that is fair to all nominees. Nominations were solicited from the entire licensing industry based on a list of categories and criteria that will ultimately determine the industry's tribute to its leaders in creativity and achievement. Award categories are limited to a maximum of five entries each, except for the Overall License of the Year which is limited to 10 nominees. Winners will be chosen by the LIMA membership and will each receive the coveted three-dimensional, etched-glass trophy, sporting the International LIMA logo.
This year, for the first time at Licensing International 2007, all nominees for the overall property of the year in each category will be on display at the show. Attendees at the show will be able to see up close all those brands and properties that have been singled out as "The best of the best for 2006."
Each year LIMA donates a portion of the ticket sales from the annual LIMA Awards Gala to a charity which supports and enriches the lives of children. LIMA 's charity of choice is the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation, which works to improve the treatment, quality of life, and long-term outlook for children who are battling brain and spinal cord tumors.
NOMINEES: THE 2007 ANNUAL LIMA INTERNATIONAL LICENSING EXCELLENCE AWARDS
BEST ART BRAND LICENSE OF THE YEAR
Property -- Owner/Agent
-------------------------------
Andy Warhol -- The Andy Warhol Foundation/The Beanstalk Group, LLC
Artkey's Qi Baishi -- Qi Baishi/ArtKey Co., Ltd.
Debbie Taylor-Kerman -- Debbie Taylor-Kerman, Inc./Marketing On Demand, LLC
Sandra Magsamen -- Henny Girl/Mixed Media Group, Inc.
Thomas Kinkade, Painter of Light -- The Thomas Kinkade Company/Creative Brands Group, Inc.
BEST ART BRAND LICENSEE OF THE YEAR
Licensee -- Property/Product
-----------------------------------
Accessory Network -- Bobby Jack/accessories
Briefly Stated, Inc -- Bobby Jack/sleepwear, underwear
Levi Strauss & Co. -- Andy Warhol/apparel
Seiko -- Andy Warhol/watches
BEST CHARACTER BRAND LICENSE OF THE YEAR
Property -- Owner/Agent
-------------------------------
Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses -- Mattel Brands Consumer Products
Care Bears -- American Greetings Corporation/The Joester Loria Group
Clifford - Japan -- Scholastic Entertainment Inc./Dentsu Inc.
Peanuts -- United Media Licensing
Strawberry Shortcake -- American Greetings Corporation/DIC Entertainment, L.P.
BEST CHARACTER BRAND LICENSEE OF THE YEAR - HARD GOODS
Licensee -- Property/Product
-----------------------------------
Dynacraft -- Hot Wheels/bike
JAKKS Pacific's Creative Designs International Div -- Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses/ dance mat and instructional video
Play Along a division of JAKKS Pacific, Inc -- Care Bears/plush toys
Playmates Toys, Inc. -- Strawberry Shortcake/dolls
Scholastic Inc. -- It's Happy Bunny/books
BEST CHARACTER BRAND LICENSEE OF THE YEAR - SOFT GOODS
Licensee -- Property/Product
-----------------------------------
4004 Incorporated -- Marvel/apparel
Briefly Stated, Inc. -- Care Bears/sleepwear, loungewear, underwear
BEST CORPORATE BRAND LICENSE OF THE YEAR
Property -- Owner/Agent
------------------------------
Danskin Now -- Danskin/The Beanstalk Group, LLC
Jeep -- DaimlerChrysler Corporation/The Joester Loria Group
Michelin -- Michelin/The Licensing Company
Mr. Clean -- The Procter & Gamble Company/Nancy Bailey & Associates, Inc.
The Weather Channel -- The Weather Channel/KKM Global Brand Strategies
BEST CORPORATE BRAND LICENSEE OF THE YEAR - HARD GOODS
Licensee -- Property/Product
-----------------------------------
ConAgra Foods -- Crock-Pot/ready-to-cook meals
Fisher-Price, Inc -- Power Wheels Jeep Hurricane/battery-operated ride-on vehicle
Karastan -- Design in America -The National Trust/carpet collection
Masterbuilt Manufacturing, Inc. -- Kingsford/grills
Robinson Home Products -- Culinary Institute of America/CIA's Masters Collection cooking tools
BEST CORPORATE BRAND LICENSEE OF THE YEAR - SOFT GOODS
Licensee -- Property/Product
-----------------------------------
Appaman -- Dodge/apparel
DBL -- Pepsi/clothing
Mighty Fine -- McDonald's/apparel
WestPoint Home, Inc. -- Harley-Davidson/bed and bath
WestPoint Home, Inc. -- Komboze by Little Missmatched/bedding
BEST FILM, TELEVISION & ENTERTAINMENT BRAND LICENSE OF THE YEAR
Property -- Owner/Agent
-------------------------------
American Idol -- FremantleMedia Enterprises
Bratz -- MGA Entertainment
Disney/Pixar Cars -- The Walt Disney Company
Dora the Explorer -- Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products
Thomas & Friends -- HIT Entertainment
BEST FILM, TELEVISION & ENTERTAINMENT BRAND LICENSEE OF THE YEAR - HARD GOODS
Licensee -- Property/Product
-----------------------------------
Bandai America, Inc. -- Ben 10/toy line
Digital Blue -- Disney/digital cameras and accessories
Elizabeth Arden -- Britney Spears/Fantasy fragrance
Fisher-Price, Inc. -- Sesame Street - "T.M.X." Elmo
Mattel, Inc. -- Disney Pixar Cars/Fast Talkin' Lightning McQueen interactive toy
BEST FILM, TELEVISION & ENTERTAINMENT BRAND LICENSEE OF THE YEAR - SOFT GOODS
Licensee -- Property/Product
-----------------------------------
ACI International -- Dora the Explorer/footwear
Disguise, Inc. -- Pirates of the Caribbean/costumes
Jay Franco & Sons -- Disney Pixar Cars/home collection
Kids Headquarters -- Dora the Explorer/apparel
Rubie's Costume Co., Inc. -- Star Wars/ costumes, masks and accessories
BEST SPORTS BRAND LICENSEE OF THE YEAR
Licensee -- Property/Product
-----------------------------------
4004 Incorporated -- Starbury/apparel collection
Hands-On Mobile -- World Poker Tour/mobile game
MDI Entertainment, LLC -- Major League Baseball/lottery scratch tickets
Radica Games -- Golden Tee/Golden Tee Golf - Home Edition
World Wide Cycle Supply -- K2 Sports/K2 Bike: T:NINE women's bike collection
BEST PROMOTION OF THE YEAR
Title of Program -- Owner/Agent
----------------------------------------
Happy Feet -- Warner Bros. Consumer Products
Monopoly -- Hasbro
Snoopy at Macy's, Holiday 2006 -- United Media Licensing
Talladega Nights the Ballad of Ricky Bobby -- Sony Pictures Entertainment
Toys "R" Us - Deal or No Deal Sweepstakes -- Endemol USA/JTMG, LLC
BEST RETAILER OF THE YEAR
Retailer -- Property
------------------------
Barneys New York -- Andy Warhol
CVS -- Playskool
Steve & Barry's University Sportswear -- Steve & Barry's
Toys "R" Us -- Deal or No Deal
TysToyBox.com -- The Doodlebops
OVERALL BEST LICENSE OF THE YEAR
Property -- Owner/Agent
-------------------------------
Andy Warhol -- The Andy Warhol Foundation/The Beanstalk Group, LLC
Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses -- Mattel Brands Consumer Products
Bratz -- MGA Entertainment
Care Bears -- American Greetings Corporation/The Joester Loria Group
Disney/Pixar Cars -- The Walt Disney Company
Dora the Explorer -- Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products
Jeep -- DaimlerChrysler Corporation/The Joester Loria Group
Mr. Clean -- The Procter & Gamble Company/Nancy Bailey & Associates, Inc.
Strawberry Shortcake -- American Greetings Corporation/DIC Entertainment, L.P.
Thomas Kinkade, Painter of Light -- The Thomas Kinkade Company/ Creative Brands Group, Inc.
Founded in 1985, LIMA is the worldwide trade organization for the licensing industry. LIMA 's main objective is to work together with licensors and licensees for the advancement of professionalism in licensing through research, national and international seminars and trade events as well as publications. With members in 25 countries, and offices in New York , London , Munich and Tokyo , members enjoy access to a wide variety of activities, information and benefits. LIMA is a proud sponsor of the annual Licensing International Show ( New York ), Brand Licensing ( London ), Licensing Forum ( Munich ) and Licensing Asia ( Tokyo ). In addition, LIMA now offers a Certificate in Licensing Studies (CLS) program, the only educational course specifically designed to prepare licensing professionals to succeed in the ever-changing licensing industry. For more information please visit www.licensing.org.
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