Mantel is launching The Hobby Awards, a first-of-its-kind digital awards program recognizing the most impactful companies, creators, products and personalities in the collectibles space.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Mantel, the premier social platform for collectors, is launching The Hobby Awards, a first-of-its-kind digital awards program recognizing the most impactful companies, creators, products, and personalities in the collectibles space. Yahoo Sports, which delivers comprehensive collectibles coverage via a dedicated hub on its website, will serve as the awards’ official media partner.
Unlike film, sports, or music, the multi-billion dollar collectibles industry has lacked a central celebration of its most influential contributors. The Hobby Awards aims to change that, spotlighting excellence across a range of categories including Best Auction House, Innovation of the Year, and Creator/Influencer of the Year.
The awards will feature a dual voting structure, with 70% of the results determined by the collecting community and 30% by an expert judging panel. Voting and nominations will take place online via TheHobbyAwards.com, with nominations and companion content published on the Mantel app and Yahoo Sports. Winners will be announced in November 2025.
Confirmed judges include Alexis Ohanian (founder, 776; co-founder, Reddit), Brent Montgomery (CEO, Wheelhouse; executive producer, King of Collectibles), Ryan Spoon (president, Yahoo Media Group), Gary Vaynerchuk (CEO/chairman, VaynerX; creator, VeeFriends), Josh Luber (founder, ghostwrite), Darren Rovell (founder, cllct), Scott “DJ Skee” Keeney (founder, The Realest), Geoff Wilson (founder, Sports Card Investor, CardsHQ), Michael Osacky (sports memorabilia appraiser), Morgan Jon Fox (award-winning director, The Hobby), Alex Giaimo, (sports and collectibles host), Annemarie Farrell (journalist and @Women.on.Topps), Frank Hrelja (co-founder, Trove), Mat Sposta (co-founder, Chck.AI and Trove), investor, creator and collector Buster Scher, Suzy Lulgjuraj (journalist and marketer), Jay Moslehi (founder, MojoSports LLC), Sarina Morales (senior media director, WeTheHobby) and more.
“The collectibles industry is full of passion, creativity, and innovation, but we rarely stop and take time to recognize the people and companies driving it forward,” said Evan Parker, CEO of Mantel. “We created The Hobby Awards to give the community a platform to elevate what they love about collecting, and we’re doing it in a way that’s fun, inclusive, and built for the digital age.”
“We know how passionate collectors are – not just about the items they collect, but also about the stories behind the collections,” said Ryan Spoon, President of Yahoo Media Group. “We’re proud to partner with Mantel to bring The Hobby Awards to life and celebrate the people, products and moments that make the collecting community so special.”
While the awards will be hosted entirely online, Mantel plans to honor winners, nominees, and judges with a special event in New York City this fall. Award recipients will also receive a custom-designed, limited-edition trophy to commemorate their win.
Award categories will include:
Best Auction House
Best Hobby Shop
Best Marketplace
Best Collectible Show
Digital Product of the Year
Best Custom Art Card Artist
Best Breaking Platform
Best Live Stream Sellers
Creator/Influencer of the Year
Collectibles Exec of the Year
Grading Company of the Year
Innovation of the Year
Best Sports Card Product
Best Sold Memorabilia Item
Best Non-Sports Card Product
Best Media Platform (site, newsletter, podcast)
Nominations will open late summer, and voting will begin in early fall.
For more information, visit TheHobbyAwards.com or follow along at @onMantel and @YahooSports.
Category: General Sports
