Colossal Announces Return of Third Annual Baby of the Year® Competition

Championed by Baby2Baby ambassadors Jessica Alba, Paris Hilton, and Jenna Dewan, the nationwide competition will award the winner $25,000 and a spot in a national ad campaign with The Honest Company.

PHOENIX, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Colossal, the nationally registered professional fundraiser powering some of the country's most successful purpose-driven online competitions, announces its third annual Baby of The Year® competition is open for registration! Baby of the Year is a fundraiser that celebrates the stories, milestones, and personalities that make every little one unique while helping generate charitable support for children and families in need. The little champion will take home $25,000 and appear in nationwide, multi-channel advertising campaigns.

Since 2024, funds generated through the Baby of the Year competition have resulted in more than $45 million in grants to national nonprofit Baby2Baby through Colossal's charity grantmaking partner, DTCare. The grants have helped Baby2Baby continue its large-scale distribution of essential items including diapers, formula, food and clothing to children in need in all 50 states, and helped support the organization's disaster response initiatives, and long-term infrastructure investments that strengthen its ability to serve children and families across the country.

Baby2Baby Ambassadors

Jessica Alba is a Golden Globe Award-nominated actress, advocate, bestselling author, Founder of The Honest Company, and longtime Baby2Baby Board Member. Her commitment to improving outcomes for women and children has made her one of the most influential voices in family advocacy.

Paris Hilton is an entrepreneur, advocate, global media icon, CEO of her next-gen media company, 11:11 Media and Baby2Baby Angel. Through her nonprofit 11:11 Media Impact, Hilton has leveraged her global platform to champion children's rights and wellbeing. Her advocacy work on institutional child abuse reform and child welfare has helped drive national awareness, advance meaningful policy change, and improve protections for more than 15 million children.

Jenna Dewan first captured audiences in Disney's Step Up and currently stars in The Rookie. Known for her work in Supergirl, Superman & Lois, and World of Dance, Dewan is also the bestselling author of Gracefully You and a longtime Baby2Baby Angel.

How the Competition Works

Parents submit a photo and short profile highlighting what makes their little one special. Friends, family members, and supporters then rally behind their favorite participants through several rounds. The competition culminates with one baby earning the title of Baby of the Year, receiving $25,000, and appearing in nationwide, multi-channel advertising campaigns reaching millions of consumers across digital, social, retail, and out-of-home media. This includes features on The Honest Company's social media channels and official website, as well as social media ads featuring Honest products run through Honest's channels. This also includes an appearance in a Variety Magazine advertorial.

Supporters may vote through free voting opportunities, and may also cast additional votes by donation as outlined in the official competition rules, where full eligibility, voting, donation, prize details are available.

Donation Funds

Votes by donation cast during the 2026 competition are received and managed by DTCare, a registered 501(c)(3) public charity, which will issue a grant to designated grantee, Baby2Baby, following the competition to support its work providing diapers, clothing, formula, food, and other essential items to children in need across the United States. See the competition rules for more information on the donation process.

"We are enormously grateful for the support of the Baby of the Year competition for the third year in a row," said Baby2Baby Co-CEOs Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein. "We are proud to partner on this transformative campaign that raises critical funds for Baby2Baby's mission, ensuring that we can provide more than one million children across the country with the basic essentials they deserve for years to come."

National Partners Committed to Families

This year's competition is supported by a distinguished group of brands dedicated to helping families thrive.

The Honest Company: Founded in 2012 by Jessica Alba, The Honest Company is on a mission to create personal care that raises the standards of clean and brings joy to each and every moment. By combining thoughtful design with science-based innovation, the Company delivers cleanly-formulated and sustainably-designed personal care products for everyone from babies to adults – showing you don't have to compromise between performance and peace of mind.

Graco® 'The Safest Place Outside Your Arms': For more than 70 years, Graco has helped parents navigate the earliest moments of parenthood with trusted baby gear designed for safety, comfort, and peace of mind. From the first ride home to everyday snuggles and milestones, Graco products are built to meet the needs of growing families while exceeding industry safety standards, helping parents feel confident through every stage of the journey.

Shutterfly®: For more than 25 years, Shutterfly has helped millions transform cherished memories into lasting keepsakes through photo books, holiday cards, wall art, personalized gifts, and more. As families document every stage of childhood, Shutterfly helps preserve the moments that matter most.

Colossal's Trust & Safety Commitment

Baby of the Year is supported by Colossal's Trust & Safety framework, designed to help protect participants, supporters, and families throughout every stage of the competition.

• Photo Protection: Participant photos help verify identity and are submitted and managed exclusively by parents or legal guardians. Submission photos are used only for verification and competition profile pages and are never sold, repurposed, or shared with third parties, except as provided in the Official Rules for the Grand Prize Winner and eligible finalists, whose names, photos, videos, and likenesses may be used in connection with announcing the Competition.
• Privacy & Data Security: Participant information is used solely to operate the competition, support participants, maintain competition integrity, and fulfill legal requirements. Colossal does not sell personal information.

"Families deserve confidence that the platforms they engage with are taking participant protection seriously," said Colossal CEO Mary Hagen. "Trust, transparency, and accountability remain central to every Colossal competition."

Learn more at colossal.org/trust-safety.

Following in the Footprints of Previous Champions

The Baby of the Year title has already introduced audiences to unforgettable young ambassadors.

Luca, the 2025 champion, captured hearts nationwide with his fearless personality, adventurous spirit, and contagious smile. See Luca's story in a Variety advertorial here.

Sloane Maya, the 2024 champion affectionately known by her family as a "miracle baby," charmed supporters with her joyful energy, infectious laughter, and natural presence in front of the camera. See Sloane on Good Morning America here! 

Registration Is Open

The search for America's next Baby of the Year has officially begun. Parents and legal guardians can apply and learn more about the competition BabyOfTheYear.org.

About Colossal
Colossal is a professional fundraiser redefining modern philanthropy through purpose-driven online competitions that raise money for charity. With a mission to inspire people to advocate for themselves and those in need, Colossal empowers individuals to pursue their passions, rally their communities, and compete for once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, all while driving meaningful charitable impact where giving wins. This Colossal competition serves as a fundraising campaign for DTCare, a United States 501(c)(3) public charity organization, which grants donation funds to the specified charity at the completion of the competition. Since 2022, Colossal has raised over $243 million to support charity. Learn more at colossal.org.

About Baby2Baby
Baby2Baby is a non-profit organization that provides children in need with diapers, formula, clothing, and the basic necessities that every child deserves, serving more than one million children across all 50 states. Led by Co-CEOs Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein, the organization has distributed over half a billion items in the past 15 years to children in homeless shelters, domestic violence programs, foster care, hospitals and school districts as well as children who have lost everything in the wake of disaster. The organization's success has been propelled forward by its industry-leading model that is redefining what it means to operate a non-profit with a seamless integration of impact, innovation, and influence, which earned them praise from TIME Magazine as one of 2023's most influential companies and recognition as the #1 non-profit on Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies List. To learn more about Baby2Baby please visit www.baby2baby.org.

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SOURCE Colossal