Girls-skewing game Lego Friends and LeapFrog’s LeapPad2 were among the top winners at the 13^th annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards, which kicked off this week’s Toy Fair in New York City.

The Toy Industry Association (TIA)-administered event in support of the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) paid homage to products across 12 categories – from e-Connected and Innovative to Educational and Outdoor.

The coveted Toy of the Year award was presented to Lego Friends  (The Lego Group), which also picked up the Girl Toy of the Year award, while LeapPad2 received the inaugural People’s Choice award.

Meanwhile, Judith (Judy) Ellis, Chair of the Toy Design Department at the Fashion Institute of Technology, and the late Russell (Russ) Berrie, founder of Russ Berrie, were inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame.

The Boy Toy of the Year award was presented to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shellraiser (Playmates Toys). The e-Connected Toy of the Year was presented to Skylanders Giants (Activision Publishing), while the Innovative Toy of the Year went to Digital Light Designer (Crayola).  The LeapPad2 also picked up the Educational Toy of the Year award, and the Game of the Year was presented to Perplexus Epic (PlaSmart).

Award winners were selected with the input of consumers (on ToyAwards.org), retailers (mass and specialty), media and members of the toy industry.  A full list of winners can be found here.