The winner’s family will receive $50,000 and he will be featured in Gerber advertising and social media campaigns throughout the year.
WASHINGTON — Gerber’s newest face is a Minnesota baby with a big smile and a bigger story.
Gerber Announce Cameron Chung has been named a 2026 Gerber Baby after winning the company’s annual Gerber Photo Search Award, a national contest that celebrates family and toddler moments.
Cameron’s winning photo captured what his parents say was the first time he intentionally smiled after a winter family walk in Minnesota, a moment his family said came after months of colic and the challenges of new parenthood.
“Dealing with a colicky newborn and a challenging postpartum experience is difficult, a reality we know many mothers and parents quietly share,” Cameron’s mother, Rachael Olsen, said in a statement. “But seeing Cameron smile his first real smile on a cold Minnesota day was so magical.”
This year’s competition focuses not only on babies, but also on the parents and caregivers behind the everyday moments of childhood, Gerber said.
“As a trusted leader in child nutrition for nearly 100 years, Gerber has supported and celebrated generations of families throughout the entire parenting journey,” Gerber President Oscar Benítez said in a statement. “This year, by focusing on the parents behind the babies, we begin to honor the mundane yet profoundly beautiful work of raising a family. Cameron’s story brings that to life, reminding us that even in real, imperfect moments, the pure joy of a baby is the ultimate reward.”
Cameron, who is approaching his first birthday, will appear in Gerber marketing campaigns and the company’s social media channels throughout the year as part of the 2026 Gerber Baby persona.
His family will also receive $50,000 and a Gerber children’s wardrobe set valued at $2,000.
Gerber also announced the first winner of the new “Get’ems! from Gerber” category for children ages 3 to 5. Joey Rider and her parents, Eileen and Joe Rider, of California, received this honor and received a $10,000 prize and a wardrobe set valued at $500.
The Gerber Babies tradition goes back nearly a century and remains one of the company’s most well-known events.
