Two months out from Licensing International, industry org LIMA has unveiled its 2009 nominees list for the annual International Licensing Excellence Awards that will be presented at the LIMA Opening Night Awards Party (formerly the Gala) on June 2 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

Cabbage Patch Kids (Original Appalachian Artworks/4Kids Entertainment), Disney Fairies (The Walt Disney Company), Fancy Nancy (HarperCollins/United Media Licensing), Hello Kitty (Sanrio) and Supergirl (Warner Bros. Consumer Products) will be vying for Best Character Brand Program of the Year.

Nominees, meanwhile, in the coveted Best Film, Television and Entertainment Brand Program of the Year category include Bakugan (Nelvana Enterprises/Cartoon Network Enterprises), The Dark Knight (Warner Bros. Consumer Products), Hannah Montana (The Walt Disney Company), Star Wars (Lucasfilm) and Twilight (Summit Entertainment LLC/Striker Entertainment/Most Management).

And Overall Best Licensed Program of the Year hopefuls include The Andy Warhol Global Licensing Program (The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts), Bakugan (Nelvana Enterprises/Cartoon Network Enterprises), Beijing 2008 Olympic Games (IOC/The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad), The Dark Knight (Warner Bros. Consumer Products), Hello Kitty (Sanrio), Jeep Consumer Products (Chrysler LLC/The Joester Loria Group) and Major League Baseball (Major League Baseball).

For the complete list of categories and nominees check out http://www.licensing.org/awards/nominees.cfm