Surrey youngster vying for ‘Baby of the Year’
Published 6:00 pm Tuesday, September 22, 2026
A Surrey family that set out to mark their son’s first year in a fun way is now hoping their bright-eyed six-month-old will be voted 2026 Baby of the Year – a title that comes with $25,000 and nationwide time in the spotlight.
But time is running out to vote young Aren Khazaee into the competition’s next round.
Maryam Bayatsarmadi described her son as a “joyful, curious, and incredibly social little boy.”
“His expressive eyes, big smiles and fascination with the people and world around him have been part of his personality from the very beginning,” she continued by email.
“At six months old, he is discovering new foods, practicing his little crawling moves, enjoying music and conversations with Mom and Dad, and recently celebrating the arrival of his first tiny teeth.”
Entering the 2026 Baby of the Year competition quickly evolved into something bigger for Aren and his parents, as more and more votes supporting the youngster were cast by family, friends and the community, Bayatsarmadi writes.
The winner will be featured in a national advertising campaign with The Honest Company, and celebrated in an advertorial in Variety magazine, she adds.
Funds raised also support Baby2Baby, a California-based nonprofit “that provides children in need across the country with diapers, clothing and all the basic necessities that every child deserves,” according to baby2baby.org
The competition aims to celebrate “new life, proud families, and community coming together to support babies everywhere,” information on the site adds.
Bayatsarmadi said she and Aren’s father Milad Khazaee thought their son’s journey “could make a fun and uplifting local community story.”
Public voting through multiple rounds determines the champion. Supporters can cast a free daily vote, or opt to vote by donation. The ‘Group Phase’ of voting closes at 7 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 24), after which competitors advance through the tournament-style format based on their ranking, according to competition rules.
As of Tuesday (Sept. 22), Aren was ranked fourth out of 44 in his group.
Bayatsarmadi said support from Lower Mainland voters would “mean so much to us,” as Aren doesn’t have the same local family voting network as some of the other participants, due to his extended family being in Iran.
In Aren’s online competition profile, the family notes the $25,000 prize – in addition to supporting Aren’s education and other opportunities – “would help us build a strong foundation for his dreams.”
For more information or to vote visit https://babyoftheyear.org/2026/aren-6e74