Meet 2024 Gerber Baby and Chief Growing Officer Akil "Sonny" McLeod

Gerber has officially selected the 2024 Gerber Baby. This year’s photo search winner is Akil “Sonny” McLeod!

“Sonny immediately captured our hearts with his joyful smile and his family’s heartwarming demonstration of what it means to grow with love,” said Chandra Kumar, President of Nestlé Nutrition in a press release announcing the winner.

Born to Dominque and Akil Sr. in sunny Arizona, Sonny was named after his dad but got his nickname while still in the womb. One day while Dominque was sitting inside she noticed a bright beam of sunshine streaming through the window directly onto her belly and immediately thought, “That’s my little sunny boy!” That cemented Sonny’s nickname ever since.

Sonny recently celebrated his first birthday and loves reading his squishy ABC book, playing with his toy cars and watching football with his family. He can’t help but giggle when people make silly faces at him or when he plays Peekaboo with his big sister Sage. 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.

“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. “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.”

As this year’s overall winner Sonny will not only receive the title of 2024 Gerber Baby, but his family will also get a $25,000 cash prize, a new wardrobe from Gerber Childrenswear, a year’s supply of Gerber products and prizes from UPPABaby, Little Tikes and more.

This year Gerber also renewed its partnership with March of Dimes, an organization dedicated to maternal and infant health programs, to make a difference in the lives of families. In support March of Dimes’ incredible initiatives Gerber will make a matching monetary donation of the winning baby’s cash prize.

You can learn more about Sonny and sign up to get notified of next year’s Gerber Baby Photo Search at Gerber.com/2024-Gerber-Baby.