Ashton-Drake Annual Baby Photo Contest

The Ashton-Drake Baby Photo Contest: Show Us Those Smiles

Perhaps you know the name Ashton-Drake for its preeminent presence in the collectible dolls marketplace. For over 30 years, we have been recognized as the gold standard of artistry for our award-winning dolls, including lifelike baby dolls, toddler dolls, realistic portrait dolls, reborn dolls, TrueTouch® authentic silicone dolls, plush dolls and plush animals. But there is something else very special we are known for: our annual Baby Photo Contest.

For over eleven years now, our Baby Photo Contest, formerly known as the Such a Doll®! Baby Photo Contest, has generated a yearly surge of excitement among doll fans for one very important reason. It is a chance to win a realistic baby doll created from a photo of a child you hold dear. That's right, you could see your little cutie recognized as the "cutest baby of the year", and with that honor receive a Master Doll Artist-created doll that looks just like him or her. If you've never heard of our Baby Photo Contest, read on for more details.

How to Enter the Ashton-Drake Baby Photo Contest

Our contest kicks off every year around fall. Be on the lookout for an announcement on our Facebook page with specific details on how to enter that year's contest. But in a nutshell, the general steps are always the same.

1. ENTER the contest by submitting a favorite photo of your baby (newborn - 6 months).

2. VOTE for your favorite baby photo after the finalists have been chosen.

3. WIN a doll inspired by your favorite baby photo if yours is voted the winner by our fans on social media.

Have you ever entered our Baby Photo Contest before? Would you like to? Here is some more incentive regarding our prizing and what you can look forward to in future contests.

What Can I Win?

The big prize, of course, is the opportunity to see your photo turned into a baby doll created by Master Doll Artist Ping Lau. Everyone will know that your baby is the cutest AND you will also receive one of the dolls yourself signed by Master Doll Artist Ping Lau, a lifelike snapshot of your precious one that will remain perfectly young forever. But there is much more. In addition to our grand prize winner, each year we also award a 2nd and 3rd place prize so there are multiple opportunities for you to win. And with those accolades come gift certificates to Ashton-Drake and cash prizes too.

How Is the Ashton-Drake Baby Photo Contest Judged?

This is one of the most exciting things about our Baby Photo Contest: you are the judge too! Every year when the entry period comes to an end, we select our finalists to be voted on by you, our customers and fans in the Ashton-Drake community. The voting period typically happens during the winter months, where you can let us know which of the finalists is your favorite (even if one of them is your very own). Historically, we announce the winning baby photo early the next year and spend the next few months working with our doll artist on the creation of the winning doll to be available for our winner (for free) and our fans to purchase.

Meet Our Past Winners

It's not just the winners who have fallen in love with our Baby Photo Contest all-stars. All our customers have fallen in love with our winning dolls during the past decade. In fact, many have gone on to be some of our most successful dolls of all time. If this is your first time hearing about our contest, here is the list of our past winners:

Year 1 Winner: Savana

Year 2 Winner: Emerie (retired)

Year 3 Winner: Alanna

Year 4 Winner: Ava Elise

Year 5 Winner: Lyla Grace (retired)

Year 6 Winner: Norah

Year 7 Winner: Rosalie

Year 8 Winner: Paris

Year 9 Winner: Nevaeh

Year 10 Winner: Lilah

Year 11 Winner: Harmony

Want your cutie to join the ranks of these history-making cuties? Just have your camera poised when our 12th annual Baby Photo Contest kicks off in 2024. Here are a few tips to get your ready when the time comes.

Tips for Submitting a Winning Entry

If you want to ensure you have the best shot at winning our Baby Photo Contest, we have four tips to consider when taking your photograph (assuming it is not one that already exists). Remember, these are not strict rules, per se, but they can be helpful in enhancing your submission and giving your photo the best possible chance overall.

1. Makes sure the focus is on your baby and take a full body shot rather than just the face.

2. The closer you can get, the better. No background is needed for your photo.

3. Good lighting is essential.

4. Be sure your baby is not dressed in clothing or accessories that featured a licensed property or character.

Our 12th annual Baby Photo Contest will be here before you know it. But in the meantime, be sure to explore our entire selection of Ashton-Drake dolls, each one a masterpiece of unprecedented realism and quality. Shop Now!