PARENTS Announces First-Ever Next Gen Awards

Michelle Obama, Kylie Kelce, Serena Williams and more honored for helping families and children thrive

NEW YORK, July 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, PARENTS announced the 2025 Next Gen Awards. The inaugural awards program recognizes 40 inspirational advocates, innovators, thought leaders and influencers who are making a positive impact on families and children, uplifting their communities and championing the next generation.

"PARENTS is so proud to celebrate our Next Gen Award winners for their deep commitment to helping families thrive," said Kaity Velez, editorial director, PARENTS. "These 40 individuals represent the many facets of family life and the varied ways support can make a difference, all while demonstrating many of our brand's core values such as compassion, empathy, kindness, and trust."

To select this year's nominees, PARENTS editors and an expert panel of judges researched and reviewed individuals who demonstrated broad reach and a clear dedication to helping kids and families flourish. After reviewing over 400 nominees, 40 winners were selected based on their impact, public presence, and active efforts to create change through non-profit organizations, media, community-based programs and newly developed resources that support families everywhere. The list consists of a diverse group of leaders and advocates across fields including education, innovation, mental health, entertainment and more.

The Next Gen Awards 2025 judges include: Dylan Dreyer, co-anchor of the 3^rd Hour of TODAY and NBC News meteorologist, Dr. Mona Amin, board-certified general pediatrician, Paige Ballenbaum, LCSW, PMH-C,, Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart, pediatric psychologist, Kaity Velez, editorial director, PARENTS, Celeste Little, senior editor, PARENTS and Grace Bastidas, parenting journalist.   

Winners include: Michelle Obama, former First Lady, best-selling author, host of "IMO" and founder of the Girls Opportunity Alliance at the Obama Foundation; Kylie Kelce, former athlete and host of "Not Gonna Lie"; Serena Williams, 23-time Tennis Grand Slam Champion and women's rights and sports advocate, among many others; Joe Brumm, creator of Bluey, Jon Batiste, Grammy-award winning singer, songwriter and youth music advocate and Dr. Jonathan Haidt, social psychologist and author of "The Anxious Generation".

To learn more about the PARENTS Next Gen Awards and read about the full list of this year's winners, visit here.

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SOURCE Parents