The finalists for the Bologna Licensing Awards 2026 have been revealed, covering 16 categories including a new accolade for this year and having attracted over 250 applications from across the world.

By Samantha Loveday, Licensing Source.

The finalists’ products will be showcased throughout the fair – which runs from 13-16 April – at the BLTF/K Awards display area, located in the BLTF/K zone of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, Hall 29 – Mall 2.

The winners will be announced on Monday 13 April at 16.45 at the BLTF/K Awards Ceremony, held in the Licensing Conference Room (Hall 29 – Mall 2), and is open to all industry professionals.

The finalists were arrived at by a panel of judges who convened at Bologna’s beautiful Salaborsa library in February. The judges were Karin Ebnet, editor at Toy Store; Ian Hyder, ceo at Max Publishing; and Helena Mansell-Stopher, founder and ceo at Products of Change.

BEST PRESCHOOL LICENSING PROJECT

• Ladybird Books, Penguin Random House UK and Hasbro for the Peppa Pig and Evie publishing programme
• Sanrio, for the H&M x Hello Kitty and Friends project, created by H&M
• Ladybird Books, Penguin Random House UK, and the BBC Studios for the Bluey publishing programme.

BEST KIDS LICENSING PROJECT

• Sanrio for the Hello Kitty Home project by H&M Home
• Sanrio, for the Puma x Hello Kitty and Friends project, created by Puma
• WildBrain CPLG, with Peanuts Worldwide, for the Diadora x Peanuts project, developed by Diadora.

BEST TEEN LICENSING PROJECT

• Rainbow for the Spread Magic Not Hate campaign, created in partnership with The Cybersmile Foundation
• IMG Licensing, with The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, for the Goodyear x Pull&Bear collection created by Pull&Bear
• Maurizio Di Stefano Licensing, with Global Merchandise Services, for the development of the Skibidi Toilet brand
• Starbright Licensing, with Konami Cross Media NY, for the Yu-Gi-Oh! X Nike collection created by Nike

BEST YOUNG ADULT LICENSING PROJECT

• Lisciani Giochi with Mattel for the Barbie Giradischi project
• Sanrio, for the Peggy Sage Monsieur Madame project, created by Peggy Sage
• WildBrain CPLG with Amazon MGM Studios for the Elmo & Montegrappa x Wednesday project, created by Elmo & Montegrappa
• WildBrain CPLG with Hasbro for the Timex x Monopoly project, created by Timex

BEST RETAIL PROJECT

• Universal Consumer Products for the Gabby’s DollHouse project, created in collaboration with PRG Group
• Rainbow for the Winx Club: la magie est de retour x Rook!es Paris project, created by Rook!es Paris
• Sanrio for the Lush x Hello Kitty and Friends project, created by Lush
• Sanrio for the Heinz x Mr. Men & Little Miss project, curated by Heinz
• Mood Space with Paramount Consumer Products for the SpongeBob SquarePants project, produced by Aurora Multimarket

BEST PRESCHOOL & KIDS FASHION PROJECT

• WildBrain CPLG with Peanuts Worldwide for the Benetton x Peanuts project, produced by Benetton
• WildBrain CPLG with Peanuts Worldwide for the MC2 Saint Barth x Peanuts project, produced by MC2 Saint Barth
• Rights & Brands for the Cath Kidston x Moomin project, created by Cath Kidston

BEST TEEN & YOUNG ADULT FASHION PROJECT

• Mattel for the Koi x Monster High project, created by Koi
• Sanrio for the GCDS x Hello Kitty project, created by GCDS
• Sanrio for the Hello Kitty & Kuromi & Kevin Germanier project, created by Kevin Germanier
• WildBrain CPLG, in partnership with Peanuts Worldwide, for the Coccinelle x Peanuts project, created by Coccinelle

BEST LICENSED PUBLISHING PROJECT

• Lerner Publishing Group, in partnership with The Planetary Society, for The Planetary Society publishing project
• De Agostini Publishing Spa, in partnership with Peanuts Worldwide, for the Snoopy House project
• WildBrain CPLG, with Peanuts Worldwide for the Adriano Salani x Peanuts publishing project, developed by Salani
• Sanrio, in partnership with Agatha Christie Ltd, for the MMLM x Agatha Christie project

BEST LICENSED TOY PROJECT

• IMG Licensing with The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company for the Goodyear Take Apart Toy Engine project, developed by Red Toolbox
• Outfit7 for the Talking Tom Heroes: Suddenly Super toy line developed by Spider International and Spider Global
• Cicaboom, in partnership with Mediatoon, for the Naruto Mythos TCG project
• The Pokémon Company International for the Pokémon Jazwares Collectable Vinyl Figures Set project, created by Jazwares

BEST LICENSED VIDEO GAME PROJECT

• Storytoys, in partnership with LEGO and BBC Studios, for the LEGO Bluey project
• Officina Comunicazione for the Find the Skifidol Brainrot Card project developed for Roblox
• Miraculous Corp, in partnership with Outfit7, for the co-branded gaming project featuring Talking Tom and Friends and Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir

BEST LICENSED PROMOTION/LOYALTY PROJECT

• Blue Ocean Entertainment, in partnership with Playmobil, for the Playmobil Team project carried out in collaboration with Carrefour Italy
• WildBrain CPLG, in partnership with Horst Brandstätter Holding GmbH, for the Ferrero x Playmobil x DC Comics project, developed in collaboration with Ferrero
• The Pokémon Company International, for the campaign developed in collaboration with Casa Optima
• WildBrain CPLG and SEGA for the PROMOTICA x EUROSPIN x SONIC MODERN project, developed by Promotica and Eurospin
• The Continuity Company Srl with Netflix for the La collezione dal sottosopra project, developed in partnership with Conad

BEST LICENSED KIOSK & COLLECTABLE PROJECT

• WildBrain CPLG, in partnership with Supercell, for the Diramix x Brawl Stars project developed by Diramix
• Maurizio Di Stefano Licensing, in partnership with Rights & Brands, for the Moomin newsstand project developed by Panini Spa
• Maurizio Di Stefano Licensing, in partnership with Global Merchandise Services, for the Iron Maiden newsstand project, developed with Centauria Editore Srl
• Tomodachi Press, in partnership with Studio MDHR, for the CupHeads Cards project

BEST LICENSED SUSTAINABLE PROJECT

• Caravanserai Partners, in collaboration with Pomase, for the Le Petit Prince by Art Funeral project, developed in partnership with Paolo Imeri – Art Funeral
• Sesame Workshop, for the Sesame Street E-Wasting Campaign project, developed in collaboration with Stiftung Elektro-Altgeräte-Register
• Maurizio Di Stefano Licensing, in partnership with Acamar, for the Bing Eco Puzzle project developed by Lisciani Giochi
• Rights & Brands for the Imperfect Industries x Moomin project, created by Imperfect Industries

BEST RISING STAR PROPERTY OF THE YEAR

• Project First with Leo the Truck
• The Mouse Mansion Company with Sam&Julia
• Officina Comunicazione with Skifidol Italian Brainrot

BEST TRANSMEDIA PROPERTY OF THE YEAR

• Acamar with Bing
• Miraculous Corp with Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir
• Peyo Company with The Smurfs
• Scopely with Stumble Guys

BEST PROPERTY OF THE YEAR

• Sanrio with Hello Kitty and Friends
• Peanuts Worldwide for Peanuts
• BBC with Bluey
• Rights & Brands with Moomin
• Hasbro with Peppa Pig
• Mattel with Monster High