The Kindness Awards return for a fourth year with $10,000 in prizes, two tracks for creators and schools, and a stage on the New York Times Square billboard.
Real "cool" has always been simple: it's being kind. Gan Jing World invites creators, students, and everyday changemakers around the world to prove it — the 2026–27 #BeKindBeCool Kindness Awards are officially open, with this year's call to action: Choose Kindness.
Create something about kindness — a video, short, artwork, song, skit, or vlog — and post it on Gan Jing World with #BeKindBeCool between July 2026 and March 31, 2027 to be entered automatically. Entry is free, with no limit on submissions. Explore prizes, past winners, and everything you need at ganjingworld.com/bekindbecool.
A movement that keeps growing
What began in 2023 as a single contest is now a worldwide movement. Across three years, the awards have gathered more than 34,000 acts of kindness from over 6,200 channels, in 11 languages, reaching 200+ countries and regions and generating over a billion impressions. Every year, winning entries light up the Times Square billboard in New York City, where winners gather to celebrate in person.
The 2025–26 edition was our biggest yet. The Gold Prize went to South Africa's faceless "Good Samaritan," BI Phakathi (10M+ followers), with Bronze honors for creators like Josh Nasar and Samia's Life. Together, the top creators and Kindness Ambassadors behind the movement now reach a combined audience of more than 180 million.
Two ways to enter
Everyone competes through one of two tracks, and every entry uses the same hashtag, #BeKindBeCool.
Open Awards — for creators and the global community
Share a real act of kindness, tell us what kindness means to you, or bring an uplifting theme to your usual videos — then post them on Gan Jing World with #BeKindBeCool. All content types are welcome, and entries compete for Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
School Edition — for students and schools (ages 6–18)
Students take part as individuals, classes, or whole schools in two ways:
- Kindness Art Competition — illustrate "Acts of Kindness — Big or Small" in any medium on white card stock, judged across four age bands (6–8, 9–11, 12–14, 15–18). Competes for Art First Prizes, Excellence Awards, and a People's Choice popularity award.
- Kindness Videos — class projects, skits, and student films. Compete alongside creators for Gold, Silver, and Bronze.
Teachers and parents: find the classroom guide, FAQ, and entry form at ganjingworld.com/bekindbecool/schools.html (a parent/guardian signature is built in).
Prizes & awards — $10,000 total
| Award | Prize |
|---|---|
| Open Awards | |
| Gold Prize | $2,000 |
| Silver Prize | $1,000 |
| Bronze Prize ×10 | $500 each |
| School Awards — 4 age bands (ages 6–18) | |
| Art First Prize ×4 | $500 each |
| Excellence Award — 20 per band (80 total) | 1-year Gan Jing Kids membership |
| People's Choice | $500 (popularity) |
Selected winners are also featured on the Times Square billboard and invited to the celebration in New York City.
How entries are judged
Videos are scored 50% on creativity & quality and 50% on popularity & engagement, and must be one minute or longer. Art is judged on kindness message, creativity, and artistic skill within each age band.
Key dates
- July 2026 — Submissions open
- March 31, 2027 — Final deadline
- April 30, 2027 — Winners announced on Gan Jing World Stories
- Summer 2027 — Times Square celebration in NYC (details to come)
👉 Official event site: ganjingworld.com/bekindbecool
👉 Enter now: post on Gan Jing World with #BeKindBeCool
Recognized by leaders
The movement has been honored by officials across the U.S. and beyond — including Governors Mikie Sherrill (New Jersey), Maura Healey and Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll (Massachusetts), and Bill Lee (Tennessee), plus Vermont Governor Phil Scott, who proclaimed a statewide "#BeKindBeCool Day." In New York, the State Senate (Senator James Skoufis) and Assembly (Assemblymembers Karl Brabenec and Paula Kay) have recognized it. Recognition now spans the U.S., Canada, Argentina, and Indonesia.
Event Rules
1. Entries must be submitted within the event duration.
2. Entries must be original and not infringe on any trademark or copyright claims.
3. Entries must be appropriate and free from offensive or harmful content. Gan Jing World reserves the right to exclude entries that conflict with the principles of GanJingWorld.com and this event.
4. Entry into this event constitutes your acceptance of the Event Rules.
5. Contest enrollment is automatic upon posting entries with the event hashtags.
6. Entrants must possess the exclusive rights to posted entries and are responsible for having obtained any necessary permission from the subjects shown in the entries and the organization to which it applies, in accordance with applicable law.
7. If any prize winners are determined not to be eligible, the prize will be awarded to the next qualifying participant in place for that category.
8. If a winner is unable to be contacted after reasonable attempts have been made to do so, Gan Jing World reserves the right to select the next best entry.
9. Gan Jing World’s decision will be final. Any attempt by an entrant to influence the result or subvert the contest will lead to immediate disqualification.
10. By participating in this contest, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to be bound by the Official Rules, Terms of Use, Monetization Policies and Privacy Policy without exception.
11. Gan Jing World reserves the right to rule on any issue(s) not covered by these Terms and Rules.
12. Gan Jing World reserves the right to modify or cancel the event or any of the arrangements, schedules, plans or other items directly or indirectly related to the contest, at any time and for any reason.
13. For any questions, please contact [email protected]