The winners of the 2020 Licensing International Excellence Awards were unveiled in a first-for-the-industry, live, virtual event that brought together nearly 1,000 industry executives from around the world.

“This year marks the 35th anniversary of the International Licensing Awards, and while we had of course looked forward to celebrating in person, this virtual gathering was an amazing event,” says Maura Regan, president, Licensing International. “Perhaps more than ever, it was important to celebrate the incredible creativity and innovation of our industry. Seeing the very best work of this industry on display, alongside some of the dynamic executives who drive it, was a powerful reminder that, in the wake of uncertainty, the power of trusted brands and well-known licenses is more critical than ever before.”

The event, hosted by Marshall Mizrahi, vice president, Handcraft and stand-up comic, saw licensing powerhouse Martha Stewart inducted into the Licensing Hall of Fame and a showcase of this year’s six international Rising Stars: Krystyna Braxton (NFL Players Inc.); Allison Cimino (RockLove); Carolina Garcia Souza (Cinecolor Colombia, representative of The Walt Disney Company); Gao Qiang (Tencent); Hannah Stevens (The Point.1888); and Louis Yenik (Crunchyroll). Newly redesigned trophies for both the main Awards and the Hall of Fame were also unveiled at the event, designed by Alternatives and PowerStation Studios, respectively.

The 23 awards winners hail from around the globe, including companies from Brazil, France, Germany, Korea, the U.K. and the U.S. and were unveiled by 10 leading licensing executives.

The Coca-Cola Company and Sesame Workshop each won multiple trophies – Coca-Cola swept the Food & Beverage categories, winning Best Product for its Coca-Cola-flavored Tic Tacs in partnership with Ferrero, and picked up the prize for Best Food & Beverage Brand of the Year. Sesame Workshop’s “Sesame Street” was named Best Live-Action Entertainment or Character Brand and also won for its “A Cautionary Tale” promotion with Squarespace. Meanwhile, Wildbrain CPLG was crowned as the first-ever winner in the newly added Best Licensing Agency category.

A number of companies supported the Licensing International Small Business Global Grants Fund by taking space in the Awards Program, which was made available digitally Monday. Thanks to their contributions, the Grants Fund has raised more than $110,000 to help small businesses in the licensing community impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. To learn how to donate to the fund or to apply for a grant, click here.

The 2020 Licensing International Excellence Awards winners are:

Best Licensed Products

Best Licensed Brands
 

Other Awards