The Press Release:
The Pop Insider, the only publication completely dedicated to officially licensed merchandise and pop culture fandom, is proud to reveal the finalists for its inaugural Collectors’ Choice Awards. The awards celebrate the most innovative, creative, and fan-driven licensed products, experiences, and collaborations across entertainment, toys, collectibles, fashion, beauty, home goods, and more.
Now in its latest edition, the Collectors’ Choice Awards spotlight the brands, creators, and companies that continue to raise the bar for fandom-focused merchandise. A panel of more than 20 licensing industry professionals and pop culture experts voted on their favorite items, experiences, companies and more of 2025, resulting in nearly 90 finalists across 16 categories. Finalists were selected based on a multi-point criteria, including originality, quality, fan appeal, market impact, and overall significance in pop culture.
“We created the Collectors’ Choice Awards to give standout pieces, companies, and experiences the lasting recognition they deserve and make sure they live on not just on collectors’ shelves, but in the spotlight where they belong,” says Marissa Silva, Editor-in-Chief of The Pop Insider. “The first-ever Collectors’ Choice Awards Finalists represent creativity, passion, and fandom. We can’t wait to see which ones resonate most with fans, but all of them deserve their place in pop-culture history.”
Public voting on the Collectors’ Choice Award winners will take place Feb. 1-28, 2026. Fans can vote on thepopinsider.com. The final winners of all 16 categories as well as the overall Collectors’ Choice Award winner will be revealed on March 18, 2026. The overall winner will be the brand, product, or experience that receives the most votes across categories.
2025 Collectors’ Choice Awards Finalists
Best Apparel/Accessory Line
Crunchyroll — My Hero Academia x NBA x Hyperfly Expanded Collection
Hasbro — PEPPA PIG and Hill House Home Collection
JanSport — Stranger Things 5 x JanSport Collaboration Line
Kellica — Harry Potter Diagon Alley Advent Calendar
Loungefly — Wicked: For Good
Universal Products & Experiences — Wicked For Good x Ines Di Santo
Best Beauty Collaboration
Glamlite — The Lord of the Rings x Glamlite
Glamnetic — Glamnetic x Fanatics
Jazwares — Blue Meadow Squishmallows Fragrance
NYX Cosmetics — NYX x Wednesday
SHEGLAM — The Matrix Resurrections Full Collection Set
Universal Products & Experiences — Lush x Wicked: For Good
Best Branded Experience
Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles America — Tamagotchi USA Road Trip
BBC Studios — Doctor Who: UNIT Black Archive Immersive Experience (SDCC 2025)
Edelman — Dove Men+Care at New York Comic Con
Mattel — UNO Social Clubs
Paramount — Nickelodeon Land at The Land of Legends / Nickelodeon Hotels & Resorts Antalya
The Walt Disney Company — The Key to Disneyland Interactive Experience
Best Collectible Line
Funko — POP! Vinyl KPop Demon Hunters
Hasbro — Marvel Legends
Jada Toys — Street Fighter Action Figures
McFarlane Toys — DC Multiverse Batman Returns Deluxe Wave
Moose Toys — FANDROP
Playmates Toys — TMNT Mutant Mayhem Knockoff Knockout 2-Packs
The Loyal Subjects — M.A.S.K. MDU
The Nacelle Company — Star Trek 1:10 Scale Action Figures
Best Con Exclusive
Funko — Batman 15th Anniversary Pop! (SDCC)
Hasbro — G.I. Joe Classified Cold Slither Commemorative Set
Hasbro — Star Wars Vintage Collection Jedi Spirits 3-Pack
Jazwares — Pokémon Squirtle Squad Plush Pack
Thrilljoy — TMNT Bebop SDCC 2025 Exclusive
Upper Deck — Convention Exclusive DC Trading Cards
Best Fandom Collaboration
Cloudco Entertainment/Basic Fun! — Stranger Things x Care Bears
Cloudco Entertainment/Basic Fun! — Wicked x Care Bears
Funko — KPop Demon Hunters x Pop! Yourself
Hasbro — TRANSFORMERS x NFL
Paramount — Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Godzilla
Sanrio — Hello Kitty x Strawberry Shortcake
Best High-End Collectible
Agoro — Agoro Blind Boxes
Basic Fun! — Arcade Classics Ultra Series
Hasbro — Robosen G1 Bumblebee Auto-Converting Robot
McFarlane Toys — Spawn #1 Resin Statue
PCS Collectibles — TMNT Underground 1:1 Diorama
Wēta Workshop — Masters Collection: The Fellowship of the Ring
Best Home Goods Line
Coleman — Coleman x Stranger Things
Homesick — Gilmore Girls Collection
Paladone — The Icon Range
Toynk — Magic: The Gathering Black Lotus Fleece Throw
Trove Brands — Owala Disney Princess Collection
Universal Products & Experiences — Wicked for Pottery Barn
Best Limited-Edition Drop
100 Percent Soft — Magical 8-Bit Dumpster Fire Vinyl Figure
Factory Entertainment — Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Phaser Replica
Loungefly — Wicked Glinda & Elphaba Mini-Backpacks
Mondo — Juggernaut Prisoner Variant Vinyl Figure
Monogram International — NBC Jack Deluxe Bank
Paramount — Appa Wood-Carved Skate Deck
Best Retro Revival
Alamo Drafthouse — Godzilla Collection
Hasbro — G.I. Joe Cold Slither
McFarlane Toys — Batman: The Animated Series Figures
Playmates Toys — Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Reignition
The LEGO Group — LEGO Game Boy
The Loyal Subjects — My Pet Monster
The Loyal Subjects — Popples
Best Tabletop Gaming Collaboration
Free League Publishing — ALIEN Evolved Edition
Goliath — The Sims Board Game
Hasbro — Dungeons & Dragons: Stranger Things
Ravensburger — Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons
Spin Master — Disney Villains Chess
Ultra PRO Entertainment — Pokémon Trainer Expert
Licensing Program of the Year
DC Studios — Superman
Jazwares — Squishmallows
Marvel Studios — Fantastic Four
Netflix — Stranger Things
Universal Products & Experiences — Wicked: For Good
Warner Bros. — Jaws 50
Merch Maker of the Year
Bandai Namco Toys & Collectibles
Jazwares
The Nacelle Company
Upper Deck
Hasbro
RSVLTS
Product Designer of the Year
Mighty Jaxx — Jason Freeny
OHKU — OHKU
TOMY International — Chris Huisman
TOMY International — Matt Synowicz & Brennan Hunt
Retailer of the Year
Entertainment Earth
POPMART
Toynk
Universal Products & Experiences — Target (Wicked: For Good)
Walmart Marketplace
Whatnot
The Underdog Award
Banbo USA / Five K Ltd — Banbo Sockers Collector Figures
Geek Orthodox
OHKU
TOMY International — Jixelz Remix Collection
For more information about the Collectors’ Choice Awards, fan voting, and the upcoming winner announcements, visit thepopinsider.com (linked below)
About The Pop Insider:
Launched in 2018, The Pop Insider is the only multimedia publication in North America exclusively dedicated to licensed merchandise. The Pop Insider’s website is home to news, new product listings, and special features about the world of fandom merch. Find information about all the latest convention exclusives, limited-edition drops, and more at thepopinsider.com. The Pop Insider is produced by Adventure Media and Events, LLC, publisher of The Toy Book, the leading toy industry multimedia trade publication, and The Toy Insider, the go-to source for information about children’s toys, tech, and entertainment. For more information, visit thepopinsider.com and follow on Instagram.
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PiercingMetal Thoughts: This is some pretty cool news from the fine folks at the Pop Insider and since its primarily the kinds of products that are discussed right here, I’ve decided to post the news on this site over the Piercing Ken branding. As noted, the Pop Insider is a direct connection to The Toy Insider and they’re a group of toy industry experts that we’ve known since about 2016 if I’m recollecting properly. I’m going to watch the calendar to make sure that I get my votes in for the things that I feel are most worthy of the honors. I’ll also be following along with future news on this cool offering to make sure our own wonderful readership is continuously up to date. I’ve been covering Toy Insider events for almost a decade now and if you want to peruse a whole bunch of them you can use a link I have over on Ken Pierce Media since that ties all of our creative worlds together. Just click HERE for that but do please chime in down below with your thoughts on this new awards offering. I’ll see you next time.
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