Lorenzo the Great's Adventures

The Plushie of the Year 2020-2021

Move over, Mr. and Mrs. Universe; there’s a new champignon in town! From early-December 2020 until late-February 2021, stuffed animal enthusiasts could cast their vote for which celebrity plushie would become the Plushie of the Year. The contest was hosted by The Instaplushies, who aim to unite all plushies who share their adventures in online communities. Through Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter followers could cast their votes for their favorite stuffed animal. The Instagram “plushie community” counts over 20.000 accounts, and is still growing.

The Finalists

On February 19, 2021, the six finalists competing to become the stuffed animal of the year were announced: Austrian duck plushie Gustav von Schnabel, the ever-social Bear from the United Kingdom, banana-loving monkey plushie Lorenzo who currently resides in Paris, the celebrity plushie Fozzie Bear, the warm-blooded penguin plushie Mimi, and the globetrotting Kapten Fox. Each of these six enigmatic stuffed animals made it through the preliminaries with great ease, and beat out the competition in the semi-finals.

The Winner: Lorenzo the Great

One week after the final vote started, monkey Lorenzo came out on top as Plushie of the Year. Lorenzo was followed closely by Bear in second place and Gustav in third.

To celebrate Lorenzo’s win, we asked the adorable monkey king (and his humans) a few questions.

How did you feel about winning the Plushie of the Year contest?

I am going bananas with excitement from all the love and support I’ve received. It’s truly an honor to be representing the plushie community.

How long have you and your humans been active, taking pictures of you?

It all started in September 2019, when my humans were getting ready to move to my new home in Paris. They wanted to document my adventures for their family and friends back in America to see.

What inspires you when taking pictures?

I like to prove that plushies can do anything humans can do, but cuter!

Which of your own pictures is your favorite?

Ohhh, a hard question, I have so many great shots! But if I had to pick one, it would be the one of me hanging out and relaxing in the tree with my banana, on Île Saint-Marguerite off the Southern coast of France in the Mediterranean Sea.

Lorenzo the Great
Stuffed animal of the year Lorenzo on Île Saint-Marguerite (Credit: @lorenzo_goes_bananas)

What would be your Top 3 travel tips for other (plushie) travelers?

  1. Belgium: they really do have the best waffles!
  2. If there’s a boat ride tour take it! Even if it’s full of tourists, boat rides are an awesome way to take in the sites.
  3. The best 360 view in Paris is the top of Sacré Cœur, and it’s cheaper than the Tour Eiffel.

What do you love most about the (Instagram) Plushie Community?

I love how positive, loving, supportive, and adorable everyone is.

Which other plushie accounts would you recommend?

More about Lorenzo

You can read more about Lorenzo on his very own profile page in The Plushie Community!

Members of The Plushie Community

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