The 2026 awards spotlight individuals and organizations dedicated to easing the trauma of hospitalization. Robert Pasin of Radio Flyer received the Lifetime Achievement Award, while actor Steve Burns was honored with the Golden Heart Award. The foundation also recognized the Sutter Children's Center and Driscoll Children's Hospital for their exceptional child-life and therapeutic arts programming.

Corporate partners and digital creators also featured prominently in this year’s list. Jessica Borrell of TGR Haas F1 and Lindsay Bevan of Insmed Incorporated were cited for their social impact work, alongside the LEGO Group’s consumer engagement team in Tempe. In the digital space, BlackAppleCreative, Sas8Jr, and Hel earned accolades for using their platforms to advocate for pediatric patients. Starlight CEO Adam Garone noted that these contributions help young patients build resilience and manage the anxiety of their medical journeys. The foundation plans to hold in-person presentations for the winners over the coming months to mark these achievements in pediatric support.