TOMMI History

What is the TOMMI Games Award?

How did the TOMMI Games Award come about?

The idea for the German children’s software award TOMMI originated in 2002 and can be traced back to media expert, journalist, and children’s and young adult author Thomas Feibel and his Office for Children’s Media. The TOMMI sought to cast computers and children in a positive light, since at the time the medium was only receiving negative media coverage (the “killer game” debate).

The TOMMI is the most important award for digital products for children and young people in the German-speaking world. Since 2002, high-quality digital games and educational offerings for children have been awarded annually in various categories.

TOMMI started out focusing solely on PC games. Later, console games, electronic toys, and digital educational resources were added. Since 2008, TOMMI has been held in public libraries, where the project is supported by media education specialists. Since then, the program has reached many more children, encouraging them to actively participate in the judging process. In 2026, the program was renamed the TOMMI Games Award.

How does the TOMMI project work?

After a panel of experts—comprising journalists, scholars, and educators—has shortlisted the submissions, children and young people at approximately 50 public libraries in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland get a chance to participate. The TOMMI relies onthe activeinvolvement and participation of children between the ages of 8 and 16. Each year, between 3,000 and 4,000 girls and boys actively participate.

Our credo: Children have the last word at TOMMI.

Where will the award ceremony take place?

For many years, the award was presented live at the Frankfurt Book Fair.
Since 2020, the award ceremony has taken place on KiKA as part of the show “Team Timster.” Media partners include KiKA, ZDF, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, and Dein SPIEGEL.
The award is held under the patronage of the Federal Minister of Education, Family, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth
Karin Prien

What are the goals of TOMMI?

On the surface, TOMMI is all about games, but in reality, TOMMI promotes prevention and a wide range of relevant skills:

Because media literacy means child protection!

  • Prevention: The TOMMI is a preventive media literacy project that shows children, among other things, how they should resist the temptations of free-to-play in-app purchases or react to contact from strangers in games.
  • Media literacy and media criticism: The TOMMI aims to teach children and school classes how to deal critically with computer, educational and console games as well as apps, thus promoting children's media literacy.
  • Reading and writing skills: Children not only deal with the Games & Co, but also formulate and write down their findings.
  • Understanding democracy: The digital offerings that a jury child prefers do not always win. In the end, the result of an extensive vote is accepted.
  • Orientation: Above all, the TOMMI offers parents and educational professionals orientation on the gaming market.
  • Inclusion: The TOMMI is gradually implementing the award as an inclusion offering in libraries. Children with and without impairments jointly test the nominated games for accessibility.
  • Implementation of children's rights: TOMMI implements the children's rights of the United Nations in various categories: The right to participation, the right to play and education, free access to media, protection of privacy and from addictive substances.

Why does the TOMMI take place in libraries?

Today, libraries are the most important mediators of media literacy. They have the space, the equipment and the expert staff. And this is where children and young people who are affected by poverty and cannot afford these digital offerings from home can also benefit.