Not too surprisingly, The Walt Disney Company’s mega property High School Musical 2 took top honors as the 2007 Overall Best License of the Year at the annual awards ceremony for the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA) held at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers last night.

The LIMA International Licensing Excellence Awards recognizes 16 honorees in seven major categories.

Disney’s Hannah Montana took home the Best Film, Television & Entertainment Brand prize, with Millennium Apparel Group honored as Soft Goods Licensee of the Year and Jakks Pacific for Hard Goods. The Best Film, Television & Entertainment Brand Program of the Year went to High School Musical 2.

KidScreen contributor Jim Benton and his J.K. Benton Design Studio won the Best Character Brand Program of the Year for It’s Happy Bunny, executed by agent CopCorp Licensing. Hard Goods Licensee of the Year in that category went to Creative Designs International, a division of Jakks Pacific for its Disney Princess role play and dress-up line, while Mighty Fine won in Soft Goods for its line of Disney Couture apparel.

For the fifth consecutive year, LIMA selected Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation (CBTF) as its charity of choice. LIMA donated a portion of the Award Gala ticket sales to CBTF, as well as all proceeds raised from a special tribute book honoring the Hall of Fame Inductees and the evening’s nominees.

Here is a quick look at some of the 2007 winners:

· 2007 Overall Best License of the Year: High School Musical 2 (The Walt Disney Company)

· 2007 Best Character Brand Program of the Year: It’s Happy Bunny (J.K. Benton Design Studio/CopCorp Licensing)

· 2007 Best Character Brand Licensee of the Year – Hard Goods: Creative Designs International, a Div. of JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (Disney Princess)

· 2007 Best Character Brand Licensee of the Year – Soft Goods: Mighty Fine (Disney Couture)

· 2007 Best Corporate Brand Licensee of the Year: JAKKS Pets, a Div. of JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (American Kennel Club)

· 2007 Best Film, Television & Entertainment Brand Program of the Year: High School Musical 2 (The Walt Disney Company)

· 2007 Best Film, Television & Entertainment Brand Licensee of the Year – Hard Goods: JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (Hannah Montana)

· 2007 Best Film, Television & Entertainment Brand Licensee of the Year – Soft Goods: Millennium Apparel Group, Inc. (Hannah Montana)

· 2007 Best Licensed Promotion of the Year: High School Musical 2 All Access Ticket (The Walt Disney Company)

· 2007 Best Retailer of the Year: Wal-Mart (High School Musical 2)

· Merit Award for Licensing Creativity: CopCorp Licensing (Drug-Free Bunny)