Bologna Licensing Awards Names Winners on Monday

Among the many awards programs at the upcoming Bologna trade show, the licensing honors are among the most distinctive.

In the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair hall at the 2023 edition of the Bologna trade show. Image: BCBF

By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson

Thirteen Categories of Licensing Awards

As Publishing Perspectives readers know—and those packing for Bologna Children’s Book Fair , Bologna Book Plus, and Bologna Licensing Trade Fair/Kids can tell you—the threefold event at BolognaFiere this year (April 8 to 11) means a complex battery of presentations, panel discussions, conferences, onstage interviews, training events, guest of honor programming, and awards ceremonies.

The 17th edition of the licensing trade fair this year counts among its newest participants some attractive arrivals including:

Netflix
Mediatoon
Movimenti Production

Those are joining more than 1,000 returning brands including:

The Pokémon Company International
DeAPlaneta Entertainment
Universal Products & Experiences
Sanrio
Pea
Mattel
Boing
Rai Com
Maurizio Distefano Licensing
Mondo TV
TF1 Licensing
Cool Things
Sbabam
Starbright
Grani & Partners
Dynit
Leoni
Kreaktiva Lab

You’ll remember that the licensing fair has its own new television and film rights center for trade meetings, a first this year. That means that three discrete trading floors will be operating at Bologna simultaneously. One for children’s content, one for non-children’s content, and one for television and film development. More than 300 meetings have been pre-arranged for registered audiovisual producers and publishers exhibiting, in fact.

And of course, this part of the big show has its own awards, too. The winners will be named on Monday (April 8), the first day. The winners will be applauded at 4:30 p.m. in the Licensing Conference Room (Hall 29, Mall2). And here is the shortlist for these licensing awards.

Bologna Licensing Awards 2024 Shortlists

In the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair hall at the 2023 edition of the Bologna trade show. Image: BCBF

Pre-School Licensing Project (0-6 years)

Acamar Films with the book Growing up… it’s a Bing thing by Pon Pon Edizioni
Andersen Press for the Elmer The Patchwork Elephant licensing program
Universal Products & Experiences in partnership with Spin Master for the Gabby’s Dollshouse project

Kids Licensing Project (6-10 years)

TutoToons for the mobile game LOL Surprise OMG Fashion Club together with MGA Entertainment
Beijing Everafter Culture Development for The Kingdom of Our Feelings gift box, with Wydawnictwo Dwie Siostry
The Pokémon Company International for the Pokémon x Van Gogh Museum project with the Van Gogh Museum

Teen Licensing Product (11-16 years)

The Pokémon Company International with the project Clarks x Pokémon in synergy with Clarks
Sanrio with Hello Kitty & Bad Badtz-Marut fashion project, in partnership with Alcott
Rai Com for the Mare Fuori (The Sea Beyond) licensing program, in partnership with various partners

Young Adult Licensing Project (18+ years)

Sanrio for the Chloè x My Melody fashion project in sinergy with Chloè
Maurizio Di Stefano Licensing for the Baileys x Caffè Borbone project
Rai Com for the Mare Fuori (The Sea Beyond) licensing program, in partnership with various partners

Retail Project

Universal Products & Experiences with the project Jurassic Park 30th anniversary (JP30) in synergy with Lego, Mattel e PRG
Sanrio for the TK Maxx, Homesense and Comic Relief x Mr. Men Little Miss project together with Homesense and TK Maxx
Mattel Europe with the Barbie x Zara project in collaboration with Zara

Fashion Project

Studio 100 Media for the Heidi x Bavarian Caps collection with Bavarian Caps
ZAG and Mediawan Kids & Family with Riva Kids x Miraculous, in collaboration with Riva Kids
The Pokémon Company International and Dolly Noire for the Dolly Noire x Pokémon project

Licensed Publishing Project

Faba with the book Paw Patrol – I cuccioli salvano la festa dell’amicizia, together with Paramount – Viacom
Andersen Press with the illustrated books Goodnight Elmer and Elmer, search and find numbers
Beijing Everafter Culture Development for The Kingdom of Our Feelings gift box, with Wydawnictwo Dwie Siostry

Licensed Toy Project (second year)

Sanrio for Mr. Men Little Miss x Monopoly by Winning Moves
Universal Products & Experiences in partnership with Spin Master for the playset Gabby’s Dollshouse
Faba for Hot Wheels: Dinosauri all’attacco, together with Mattel

Promotion/Loyalty Campaign

Studio 100 Media with the Vegesaurs x Lidl campaign, in collaboration with Lidl
Nerd Agency with Foundland Pictures (FILM.UA Group) for the project Mavka. The Forest Song x Lviv Croissants, in collaboration with Lviv Croissants
Maurizio Di Stefano Licensing with Acamar Films for the Bing Junior Benegum project, by Perfetti Van Melle and Pea & Promoplast

Promotion: Licensed Kiosk Product

Mondadori Media with the Peanuts 3D collection, together with CPLG WildBrain and Peanuts Worldwide
Starbright Licensing for Dragon Ball – Diramix Monsterflex, with Toei Animation
Sanrio with the Hello Kitty Hand Bag collection, in partnership with Sbabam

Licensed Sustainable Project (new category)

Studio 100 Media for the project Maya – License Factory in Natural Dye, in partnership with License Factory
Rights & Brands for the Moomin Baby Diapers by Delipap

Licensing Stars of 2023

Maravillarte with the Tailored Stories project, in collaboration with Kreaktiva Lab
Nerd Agency (FILM.UA Group) for Mavka. The Forest song
Beijing Everafter Culture Development for The Kingdom of Our Feelings, in partnership with Wydawnictwo Dwie Siostry

Property of the Year

Mattel with Barbie
The Pokémon Company International with Pokémon
ZAG and Mediawan Kids & Family with Miraculous

The products of all the finalists’ projects and products will be on display in “BLTF/Kids Awards” showcases located in the BLTF/Kids zone at the show in Hall 29, Mall 2.

In the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair hall at the 2023 edition of the Bologna trade show. Image: BCBF

More of our coverage relative to the 2024 Bologna Children’s Book Fair

More from Publishing Perspectives on licensing is here. More from us on publishing and book awards in the international industry is here. More on Bologna Children’s Book Fair is here, more on children’s books is here, more on the Italian market is here, and more on world publishing’s trade shows and book fairs is here.

About the Author

Porter Anderson

Porter Anderson has been named International Trade Press Journalist of the Year in London Book Fair's International Excellence Awards. He is Editor-in-Chief of Publishing Perspectives. He formerly was Associate Editor for The FutureBook at London's The Bookseller. Anderson was for more than a decade a senior producer and anchor with CNN.com, CNN International, and CNN USA. As an arts critic (Fellow, National Critics Institute), he was with The Village Voice, the Dallas Times Herald, and the Tampa Tribune, now the Tampa Bay Times. He co-founded The Hot Sheet, a newsletter for authors, which now is owned and operated by Jane Friedman.