SEE THE WINNERS!

Presented by The Pop Insider, The Collectors’ Choice Awards recognize excellence in licensed merchandise in the world of pop culture. This first-in-kind award program highlights mass-produced licensed products, limited-edition drops, Comic Con-exclusive collectibles, and multi-brand collaborations.

From toys and art statues to apparel and home goods, The Collectors’ Choice Awards features the best officially licensed merch, brands, and experiences of the year, as voted on by a panel of industry experts and pop culture fanatics.

More than 25,000 fans voted in the inaugural awards, showing their support to the brands, companies, products, and experiences they love most. “The Collectors’ Choice Awards are all about giving fans a voice,” says Marissa Silva, Editor-in-Chief of The Pop Insider. “More than 25,000 fans voted to determine this year’s winners, proving just how passionate collectors are about the products, collaborations, and experiences that bring their favorite fandoms to life.”

This year’s winners highlight the incredible creativity happening across the licensed merchandise industry, from nostalgic throwbacks and limited-edition prop replicas to crossover collaborations between beloved brands and franchises. Fan-favorite properties such as Stranger Things, Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings, and Power Rangers all made strong showings, alongside standout companies pushing the boundaries of collectible design.

The Pop Insider congratulates all of the nominees, finalists, and winners! Stay tuned for the 2026 awards, kicking off Sept. 15, 2026.

The Collectors’ Choice Awards features 17 total categories, including an overall Collectors’ Choice Award. While most of the awards focus on specific product launches, some categories highlight companies, events, designers, and more. See the complete list of categories, finalists, and winners below.

The overall Collectors’ Choice Award is given to the finalist that receives the most total fan votes across all categories.

A collection of officially licensed apparel or accessories, including loungewear, T-shirts, outerwear, denim, branded jewelry, gift boxes, bags, shoes, and more.

A collection of officially licensed skincare, makeup, haircare, fragrance, personal care, or beauty accessories.

An interactive experience, pop-up, permanent location, or limited activation featuring a brand or IP.

A series of pop-culture collectible figures, statues, mystery boxes, plush, or prop replicas.

Highlighting products launched and/or exclusively sold at Comic Con: San Diego, New York Comic Con, GenCon, or other U.S.-based conventions.

A crossover collection featuring two or more iconic brands.

Premium figures, statues, replicas and more valued at $300 or more.

A line of kitchenware, furniture, artwork, lighting, decor, or large-scale gaming machines.

Collectibles produced in quantities of 1,000 or fewer.

Highlighting the best use of nostalgic IP in merch (IP must be at least 20 years old).

Officially licensed board games, card games, RPG manuals and books, or tabletop accessories.

A brand with a standout collection of officially licensed products, experiences, and more from a variety of partners.

A manufacturer or licensee known for serving fans with creative products featuring multiple pop-culture brands.

Recognizing product and event designers, companies, and firms bringing fan-favorite brands to the real world.

Highlighting a key fandom merch destination, including online retailers, local specialty stores, and national chains.

Highlighting new players in the pop-culture industry and out-of-the-box hits, including brands, companies, products, and executives.

The Collectors’ Choice Awards is a unique, new awards program that encourages both industry participation and fan voting. The finalists and winners will be heavily featured on thepopinsider.com, on @thepopinsider’s Instagram and TikTok, and within the pages of an upcoming print issue of The Pop Insider.

The judging process and timeline will be as follows:

In honor of the late Lori Rubin, the long-time, beloved Controller at Adventure Media & Events, a portion of all nomination fees will be donated to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, to help establish a new physical therapy gym in the MediSys Cancer Center, as a haven for patients on their wellness journey.

Additionally, another donation will be made to Magic Wheelchair, a nonprofit organization that builds epic wheelchair costumes — at no cost to families, with a mission to bring communities together to create unforgettable moments by transforming their wheelchairs into magic.

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 them on Instagram.