Major League Mascot of the Year | The 2026 Mascot Awards
The Major League Mascot of the Year is the Mascot Hall of Fame’s top annual honor for mascots in professional sports. It’s a Golden Reggy for the program that sets an exceptional standard for performance, creativity, fan connection, brand representation, and community impact.
Major league mascots perform for tens of thousands of fans a night and millions more on screens and social feeds. They are entertainers, brand ambassadors, content creators, and community representatives all at once, usually without saying a word. This award recognizes the program that does it all best.
What the Major League Mascot of the Year Award Honors
The Major League Mascot of the Year Award honors an outstanding professional sports mascot program that demonstrated exceptional performance, creativity, fan engagement, brand representation, and community impact during the award year.
The winner excels across the complete program. That means unforgettable live performances, real connections with fans, engaging content, top-level representation of the organization, and using the character’s power to make a positive difference in the community.
Signature routines, spontaneous fan interactions, major appearances, community initiatives, creative social content, and moments that reach far beyond the stadium or arena all count.
What Judges and Fans Look For
Judges and fans consider each major league mascot‘s:
- Game-day performance and character execution
- Creativity and innovation
- Fan engagement
- Organizational representation
- Digital presence and cultural reach
- Community involvement
- Overall impact during the eligible award year
The strongest nominations show the mascot across multiple areas of responsibility rather than leaning on one viral moment, stunt or performance.
The Question This Award Asks
Which major league mascot best combined world-class entertainment, fan connection, organizational representation and community impact this year?
How to Nominate a Major League Mascot
Each mascot program may submit:
- One 60–90 second highlight video
- 5–10 photographs
- An impact statement of 250 words or fewer covering the most significant accomplishments from the eligible year
- Up to three supporting links (optional): social content, media coverage, or additional video
The Four Dimensions Every Highlight Reel Should Show
Game-Day Excellence + Fan Engagement + Brand & Digital Impact + Community Impact
Open Mascot Awards Major League Mascots Can Enter
Major League mascots can also compete in the open categories, which are eligible to all levels:
- Stunt of the Year
- Best Dance Performance
- Greatest Community Impact
- Mascot Fail of the Year
- Awwww Inspiring Moment
- Mascot First
- Most Iconic Viral Moment
- Best New Mascot Reveal
- Rising Star Award (Mascots 5 Years and Younger)
- Mascot Prop of the Year
- Mascot Video Short of the Year
- Best In-Game Routine or Skit
In the open categories, we judge impact relative to opportunity and resources. Big-league budgets help, but they don’t guarantee a Golden Reggy.
Did You Know?
The first costumed mascot in Major League Baseball had a baseball for a head. Mr. Met began as a cartoon on New York Mets programs and yearbooks in 1963. When the team moved to Shea Stadium in 1964, a ticket office employee named Dan Reilly put on a papier-mâché head and brought him to life, the first time an MLB mascot appeared in costumed form.
Mr. Met was elected to the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2007. With Mrs. Met‘s election in the Class of 2026, the Mets became the first franchise with two Hall of Fame mascots. Apparently, the secret to a mascot dynasty is marrying well.
About the Mascot Awards
The Mascot Awards, presented by the Mascot Hall of Fame, celebrate the best moments in mascotry every year. Hall of Fame induction honors a career. The Golden Reggys honor this year’s best moments, and every mascot program can earn one, Hall of Famer or not.
