Who will be the next CNN Hero of the Year? Get to know the Top 5

Five changemakers are in the running for the 2026 Hero of the Year honor

Activelifezero.com – Community leaders working on food access, wildlife conservation, housing, animal welfare, and disability inclusion have been selected as the Top 5 CNN Heroes of 2026. Each finalist will receive $10,000, while public voting will determine which person is named Hero of the Year and awarded another $100,000 for their work.

Voting is now open at CNN.com/Heroes. Supporters can also learn about and give directly to the finalists’ nonprofit organizations through the site. The winner will be revealed during the 20th annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute, hosted by Anderson Cooper and Laura Coates, airing Saturday, December 5, at 8 p.m. ET.

The five finalists were nominated by members of the public after finding practical, sustained ways to address urgent problems in their communities. In addition to their individual prize money, they will receive grant funding and organizational support from The Elevate Prize Foundation, a global nonprofit focused on increasing visibility for changemakers. Donations for this year’s finalists are being supported through Pledge.

Dion Dawson brings fresh food to Chicago neighborhoods

Dion Dawson’s understanding of food insecurity began during his childhood on Chicago’s South Side, where he experienced homelessness and struggled to access food. He remembers spending long stretches waiting at food pantries, an experience that later shaped his approach to helping others.

Since 2020, the US Navy veteran has led Dion’s Chicago Dream, a nonprofit that provides free fresh produce throughout the city. The organization employs dozens of local residents and distributes more than 80,000 pounds of produce each week to thousands of households. By bringing food directly to residents, the effort is designed to ease pressure on families and support healthier daily lives.

“We’re the Dream Team. It’s about giving your community the best possible chance to succeed.”

The organization’s work reflects a broader belief that food access can be a foundation for stability, health, and opportunity.

Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka links community well-being with gorilla conservation

As Uganda’s first wildlife veterinarian, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka has spent her career protecting endangered mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Her work led her to recognize that the future of the animals is closely tied to the health and economic circumstances of nearby communities.

She founded Conservation Through Public Health to address both sides of that connection. Since 2003, the nonprofit’s health and economic programs have reached and empowered more than 10,000 households. During that period, the mountain gorilla population in the area has increased by more than 50 percent.

“I always get very excited when I hear that a baby mountain gorilla has been born. As long as the communities see the gorillas as their future, the numbers are going to keep growing.”

Her approach shows how conservation can be strengthened when local families have greater access to education, health resources, and economic opportunity.

Andrew Lunetta creates permanent supportive homes in Syracuse

Andrew Lunetta began reconsidering homelessness while volunteering in shelters. Rather than seeing people as unable to maintain housing, he came to believe that existing housing systems were not meeting their needs.

That realization led to A Tiny Home for Good, a Syracuse, New York-based nonprofit that provides permanent supportive housing for people rebuilding their lives after homelessness. The organization has constructed 23 tiny homes and restored more than a dozen additional homes. In total, 47 tenants have been housed through its work.

Housing is paired with long-term case management, recognizing that a safe home can be more effective when it comes with continuing support and reliable relationships.

“For my tenants, I want a sense of stability and I want connection. If our tenants are afforded both those things, then I’m doing my job.”

Jaina Mistry helps street cats find safety and homes

Jaina Mistry’s work with cats began close to home, after she cared for a stray cat and her kittens in her backyard. The experience made clear the scale of need among community cats in Southern California and inspired her to help establish Cats of San Bernardino.

The nonprofit uses trap-neuter-return programs, feeds established cat colonies, rescues cats requiring urgent help, and provides medical care for animals with high needs. It has also placed about 2,000 cats and kittens into homes.

Its work combines population management with direct care, offering help both to cats living outdoors and to animals that can be placed with adoptive families.

“They give me a sense of purpose. I see cats like I see people. They all have different personalities. They all have worth.”

Francisco “Kiko” Trujillo advances disability inclusion on the border

Industrial engineer Francisco “Kiko” Trujillo grew up in Nogales, Mexico, and witnessed the obstacles faced by people with disabilities in low-income communities along the US-Mexico border. He went on to co-found Arizona Sonora Border Projects for Inclusion, known as ARSOBO.

ARSOBO supports low-income families with custom wheelchairs, prosthetics, hearing devices, and rehabilitation programs. The organization also creates employment opportunities for people with disabilities, placing inclusion at the center of its work.

Together, the five finalists illustrate how personal experience can become a sustained commitment to others. Their projects differ widely, but each is built around a direct response to needs that might otherwise be overlooked.