The Bologna Licensing Awards 2024 has announced its shortlist, and Pokémon leads the field with four nominations. 

Now in its seventh year, this annual awards program celebrates international licensors/agencies, licensees and retailers. A total of 182 submissions were received from around the world, and winners will be announced at an awards ceremony taking place on the first day of the 61st-annual Bologna Children’s Book Fair (April 8 to 11).

Shortlisted in the Best Preschool Licensing Project category are Acamar Films’ book Growing up…it’s a Bing thing!; Andersen Press for its Elmer the Patchwork Elephant licensing program; and Universal Products & Experience and Spin Master for their work on Gabby’s Dollhouse. 

The Best Kids Licensing Project will go to one of these contenders: TutoTOONS and MGA Entertainment for the LOL Surprise! OMG Fashion Club mobile game; Beijing Everafter Culture Development and Wydawnictwo Dwie Siostry’s The Kingdom of Our Feelings gift box; or The Pokémon Company International’s Pokémon x Van Gogh Museum partnership. 

Competing for Best Licensed Toy Project are Sanrio and Winning Moves’ Mr. Men Little Miss x Monopoly board game, Universal and Spin Master’s Gabby’s Dollhouse playset, and FABA and Mattel’s Hot Wheels: Dinosaurs Attack Car.

And this year’s Best Property of the Year award will go to either Barbie (Mattel), Pokémon or Miraculous (ZAG and Mediawan Kids & Family). 

Here is a full list of nominees: 

BEST PRESCHOOL LICENSING PROJECT
Acamar Films with the book Growing up… it’s a Bing thing! By Pon Pon Edizioni s.r.l.
Andersen Press Ltd. for the Elmer The Patchwork Elephant licensing program
Universal Products & Experiences in partnership with Spin Master for the Gabby’s Dollshouse project

BEST KIDS LICENSING PROJECT
TutoTOONS for the mobile game LOL Surprise! OMG Fashion Club together with MGA Entertainment
Beijing Everafter Culture Development for The Kingdom of Our Feelings gift box, with Wydawnictwo Dwie Siostry
The Pokémon Company International for the Pokémon x Van Gogh Museum project with the Van Gogh Museum

BEST TEEN LICENSING PROJECT
The Pokémon Company International with the project Clarks x Pokémon in synergy with Clarks
Sanrio, Inc. with Hello Kitty & Bad Badtz-Marut fashion project, in partnership with Alcott
Rai Com S.p.A for the Mare Fuori (The Sea Beyond) licensing program, in partnership with various partners

BEST YOUNG ADULT LICENSING PROJECT
Sanrio, Inc. for the Chloè x My Melody fashion project in sinergy with Chloé
Maurizio Distefano Licensing for the Baileys x Caffè Borbone project
Rai Com S.p.A for the Mare Fuori (The Sea Beyond) licensing program, in partnership with various partners

BEST RETAIL PROJECT
Universal Products & Experiences with the project Jurassic Park 30th anniversary (JP30) with the LEGO Group , Mattel, Inc.
Sanrio, Inc. for the TK Maxx, Homesense and Comic Relief x Mr. Men Little Miss project together with HomeSense and TK MAXX
Mattel, Inc. Europe with the Barbie x Zara project in collaboration with ZARA SA

BEST FASHION PROJECT
Studio 100 Media for the Heidi x Bavarian Caps collection with Bavarian Caps GmbH
ZAG STUDIOS and Mediawan kids & family with Riva Kids x Miraculous, in collaboration with RivaKids
The Pokémon Company International and DLYNR – Dolly Noire for the Dolly Noire x Pokémon project

BEST LICENSED PUBLISHING PROJECT
FABA with the book Paw Patrol – I cuccioli salvano la festa dell’amicizia, together with Paramount – Viacom
Andersen Press Ltd. with the illustrated books Goodnight Elmer and Elmer, search and find numbers
Beijing Everafter Culture Development for The Kingdom of Our Feelings gift box, with Wydawnictwo Dwie Siostry

BEST LICENSED TOY PROJECT
Sanrio, Inc. for Mr. Men Little Miss x Monopoly by Winning Moves
Universal Products & Experiences in partnership with Spin Master for the playset Gabby’s Dollshouse
FABA for Hot Wheels: Dinosauri all’attacco, together with Mattel

BEST PROMOTION/LOYALTY CAMPAIGN
Studio 100 Media with the Vegesaurs x Lidl campaign, with Lidl
Nerd agency with Foundland Pictures ( FILM.UA Group ) for Mavka. The Forest Song x Lviv Croissants, in collaboration with Lviv Croissants
Maurizio Distefano with Acamar Films for the Bing Junior Benegum project, by Perfetti Van Melle and Pea & Promoplast

PROMOTION: BEST LICENSED KIOSK PRODUCT
Mondadori Media with the Peanuts 3D collection, together with WildBrain CPLG and Peanuts Worldwide
Starbright Licensing Srl for Dragon Ball – Diramix Monsterflex, with Toei Animation Inc
Sanrio, Inc. with the Hello Kitty Hand Bag collection, in partnership with SBABAM

BEST LICENSED SUSTAINABLE PROJECT
Studio 100 Media for the project Maya – License Factory in Natural Dye, in partnership with License Factory GmbH
Rights & Brands for the Moomin Baby Diapers by Delipap

BEST LICENSING STARS 2023
Maravillarte* Art Management with the Tailored Stories project, in collaboration with Kreaktiva Lab
Nerd agency ( FILM.UA Group ) for Mavka. The Forest song
Beijing Everafter Culture Development for The Kingdom of Our Feelings, in partnership with Wydawnictwo Dwie Siostry

BEST PROPERTY OF THE YEAR
Barbie (Mattel)
Pokémon (The Pokémon Company International)
Miraculous (ZAG STUDIOS and Mediawan Kids & Family)