Gerber announced Tuesday the winner of its 14th annual photo search and the 2024 Gerber Baby.

The year’s Gerber Baby is Akil McLeod, who also goes by Sonny. According to Gerber, he recently turned a year old and lives in Arizona with his parents and older sister, Sage.

“Sonny loves reading his squishy ABC book, playing with his toy cars and watching football with his family,” according to Gerber. “He can’t help but giggle when people make silly faces at him or when he plays Peekaboo with his sister. As part of his tenure as the 2024 Gerber Baby, Sonny will work with Gerber to support in its mission to help babies everywhere continue to grow with love.”

Sonny’s mother, Dominque McLeod, submitted a photo for Gerber’s photo search secretly and thought they had no chance, according to “The Today Show.” Sonny’s father, Akil McLeod Sr., didn’t even know.

“I didn’t even know until we got an email that we were finalists,” he said.

“What are the chances, right?” Dominque McLeod said. “I didn’t even think about it until we received the email and I was like, I should probably tell Akil.”

“Every day it’s an honor to watch Sonny conquer so many tiny achievements, from giggles, to trying new foods, to standing up and everything in between. He’s a light in our lives and brings joy to everyone around him” said Dominque McLeod. “We couldn’t have asked for a better way to celebrate his first birthday than to be chosen as the 2024 Gerber Baby. We look forward to all the adventures in the year ahead collaborating with Gerber to share his sweet smile with families across the country.”

This year was a bit different, according to People. It was the first year parents of previous Gerber Babies were on the selection panel for the 2024 Gerber Baby, alongside employees of Gerber.

“After 14 incredible years of Photo Search, this year, we are grateful our former Gerber Baby families could join us in selecting Sonny as our 2024 Gerber Baby. Sonny immediately captured our hearts with his joyful smile and his family’s inspiring demonstration of what it means to grow with love,” said Chandra Kumar, president of Nestlé Infant Nutrition. “Inspired by the tens of thousands of photos submitted each year, Gerber Photo Search offers us a unique opportunity to connect with the families of today and reinforces the importance of our mission to help babies grow up healthy and happy.”

© 2024 Cox Media Group