LIMA names licensing award nominees
Staff -- Kids Today, 6/1/2005
New York— The International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Assn. has named nominees for its 2005 International Licensing Excellence Awards, which will be presented in eight categories at the LIMA Gala and Awards ceremony on June 22 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York.
The nominees are:
Best Art Brand License of the Year:
- It's Happy Bunny, from J.K. Benton Design Studio/CopCorp Licensing
- Kathleen Francour from Kathleen Francour Photography & Design/Lifestyle Licensing International
- Mary Engelbreit from Mary Engelbreit Studios
- So Girly! From Me & My Big Ideas/Art Impressions
- Thomas Kinkade from The Thomas Kinkade Co.
Best Character License of the Year:
- Bratz from MGA Entertainment
- Care Bears from American Greetings/The Joester Loria Group
- My Little Pony from Hasbro
- Pink Panther 40th Anniversary from MGM Consumer Products
- Strawberry Shortcake from American Greetings/DIC Entertainment
Best Film & Television brand license of the Year:
- American Chopper from Discover Global Licensing
- Dora the Explorer from Nickelodeon
- Family Guy from Twentieth Century Fox
- Plaza Sesamo Primeros Pasos from Sesame Workshop
- Scarface from Universal Studios Consumer Products Group
- Sesame Street from Sesame Workshop
- Shrek 2 from DreamWorks Consumer Products
- Spider-Man 2 from Marvel Enterprises and Sony Pictures Consumer Products
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from Mirage Licensing/4Kids Entertainment
- Yu-Gi-Oh! from 4Kids Entertainment
Best Retailer of the Year:
- Casual Male Retail Group for George Foreman
- Kitsons for Betty & Veronica
- Macy's for Barbie
- Target for SpongeBob SquarePants
- Wal-Mart for Care Bears
- Wal-Mart for Plaza Sesamo Primeros Pasos
- Wal-Mart for Spider-Man 2
Other categories include Best Character Licensee of the Year — Hard Goods; Best Character Licensee of the Year — Soft Goods; Best Corporate Property of the Year; Best Corporate Brand Licensee of the Year; Best Film and Television Brand Licensee of the Year — Hard Goods; Best Film and Television Brand Licensee of the Year — Soft Goods; Best Sports/Special Events Brand Licensee of the Year; Best Promotion of the Year; and Overall Best License of the Year.
Nominations were solicited from the entire licensing industry based on a list of categories and criteria that help determine the winners in terms of creativity and achievement. Winners will be chosen by the LIMA membership.
"The LIMA awards gala has evolved into an exciting evening of prestigious awards that demonstrates the importance of licensing and the impact it has in today's marketplace," said Charles Riotto, president of LIMA. "Within the multi-billion dollar worldwide licensing industry, the annual International Licensing Excellence Awards recognize those properties and programs that have truly had an outstanding impact on the industry."
Each year, LIMA donates a portion of ticket sales from the LIMA Awards Gala to a charity that 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.
