Description
The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2026 at The Sphere is a futuristic and immersive entertainment experience. The core concept is an "Ultimate Slime-Fueled Extravaganza," which combines the iconic, messy fun of the show with the high-tech, sensory-rich environment of The Sphere in Las Vegas. The show will leverage the venue's cutting-edge technology to create a dynamic and interactive broadcast that puts the audience—and the slime—at the center of the action.
Date
The show would take place in the summer of 2026.
New Logo
The concept you've described is a strong one, blending the styles of three different eras. A combined logo could be:
A sleek, futuristic, yet playful logo. The core KIDS' CHOICE AWARDS text would be a combination of the graffiti-style drip font from 2018 and the clean sans-serif text from 2013. The text itself would be a vibrant neon green, outlined with a pink or purple glow to connect it to the 2013 design. The iconic Nickelodeon blimp from 2018, with its orange and reflective finish, would sit above the text. The '2026' would be integrated as a separate, angular design element, echoing the architecture of The Sphere. The entire logo would be set against a deep black background, making the neon colors pop. It would feel both modern and familiar.
New Host: TBA
The host for 2026 will be a surprise to be revealed in early summer, building excitement and anticipation. A great choice would be a popular creator or rising star who connects with kids, like a breakout star from a popular streaming show or a well-known personality on platforms like TikTok or YouTube.
Categories and Awards
Returning Categories: Favorite Male Artist, Favorite Female Artist, Favorite Male Breakout Artist, Favorite Female Breakout Artist, Favorite Music Group, Favorite Kids' TV Show, Favorite Movie, Favorite Animated Movie, Favorite Male TV Star (Kids), Favorite Female TV Star (Kids), Favorite Reality TV Show, Favorite Social Media Star, Favorite Male Sports Star, Favorite Female Sports Star, Favorite Male Creator, Favorite Female Creator, Favorite Gamer, Favorite Dance Trend, #Squad, Most Wanted Pet, BFFs (Best Friends Forever), Favorite Collaboration, Favorite Celebrity Pet, Favorite Superhero, Favorite Villain, Favorite Creator Family.
New Categories: Favorite Male Food Creator, Favorite Female Food Creator, Favorite Male Kids' Creator, Favorite Female Kids' Creator, Favorite Voice Actor in an Animated TV Show, Favorite Child Actor, Favorite Child Actress, Favorite Global Sports Star, Favorite Male Magician, Favorite Female Magician, Favorite Music Duo, Favorite Male DJ/EDM Artist, Favorite Female DJ/EDM Artist, Favorite Global Creator, Favorite Global Gamer, Favorite Global Music Group, Favorite Global Cartoon, Favorite Global Animated Movie, Favorite Male Stand-Up Comedian, Favorite Female Stand-Up Comedian, Favorite YouTube Shorts Creator.
Returning Special Recognition
The Generation Change Award would return. This award honors a group of young people who are making a positive impact on their community, inspiring their peers to take action and create a better world.
New Special Recognition
The Vert Award, A special skateboarding-themed blimp trophy, given to an group who has pushed the boundaries of extreme sports. This award ties into the show's history of featuring extreme sports stars and will be presented to Kokona Hiraki for her inspiring achievements in skateboarding.
New Video Game
A new video game will be announced: Nickelodeon Party Blast 2: The Ultimate Slime-lympics. This sequel will be an Olympics-themed party game, with characters from across the Nickelodeon universe competing in events like the Slime-Shot Put, the Jellyfish Net Relay Race, the Blimp-Gliding Challenge, etc. The game will feature updated graphics and new characters from shows (SpongeBob SquarePants, The Loud House, etc.).
New Product Collaborations
Crocs x KCA: Limited-edition Slime-dipped Crocs with glow-in-the-dark Jibbitz of iconic Nickelodeon characters and the KCA blimp.
LEGO x KCA: A buildable KCA Stage Playset that includes minifigures of the host and popular nominees, plus working slime cannons.
Funko Pop! Collectibles: A special run of Kids' Choice Awards Funko Pops! of favorite winners from the show.
...and many more.
New App Collaborations
Roblox x KCA: A KCA-themed virtual experience where players can walk the orange carpet, vote for winners in real time, and get slimed in the game.
TikTok x KCA: A series of special "Dance Trend Challenges" and filters that allow users to appear as if they are at The Sphere, with the blimp and slime effects.
...and many more.
New Game Collaborations
Fortnite: A limited-time "KCA Slime Storm" event where each massive green slime cloud descends on the map, turning players into Nickelodeon characters for a final, frantic showdown. (along with an exclusive KCA "Slime Skin" for players and a limited-time in-game event where players can collect KCA blimps and use "Slime Cannons" to eliminate opponents.)
Minecraft: A KCA-themed texture pack and a custom map that recreates The Sphere and the surrounding area in a block-based style.
...and many more.
New Pop-Up Mystery Box
Throughout the show, a glowing, slime-covered mystery box will appear on the screen during random segments. Kids can scan a QR code on the box, which takes them to a special website with a secret password to unlock prizes like exclusive KCA merch, a meet-and-greet with a nominated star, or a VIP virtual experience.
New IHOP Collaboration
A limited-time KCA-themed breakfast menu, including “Slime-ade” (a vibrant green, lime-flavored lemonade) and "Blimp Pancakes" with blue and orange drizzle and sprinkles.
New Sweepstakes - The "Animate Your Dream" Sweepstakes
Concept: In partnership with Nickelodeon Our World and Unicef, this sweepstakes invites kids to submit their own concepts for a new animated short, with the winning entry being fully produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio.
This is an awesome concept! The sweepstakes would be named the "Animate Your Dream" sweepstakes. Kids would go to the KCA website to enter, voting on the following categories:
A kid/group: One or more kids (from a list of character archetypes) who submitted a creative concept (e.g., character design, a story idea, etc.).
A friend (celebrity): One or more friends (celebrities (from a list of character archetypes)) who submitted a creative concept (e.g., character design, a story idea, etc.).
A crew: The team of Nickelodeon animators, writers, and artists who will help bring the project to life.
A genre: (e.g., comedy, action, sci-fi, etc.).
A theme: (e.g., friendship, courage, environmentalism, etc.).
A number: The number of main characters (1 or a group).
A minute: The length of the animated short (e.g., a 1-minute short, etc.).
A type: The animation style (e.g., 2D, 3D, stop-motion, etc.).
...and many more.
New Marathon Block
The new summer block would be called "Mission to the KCA: The Nickverse Marathon." This marathon would feature back-to-back episodes of popular Nickelodeon shows and movies (along with a countdown-like screenbug). The broadcast would be framed as a journey through the "Nickverse" in a giant spaceship, culminating in a one-hour special (similar to Cartoon Network's Funniest Bloopers and Other Embarrassing Moments (2003)) called "Kids' Choice Awards: The Best of the Blimp Bloopers and Slimiest Moments Ever," which showcases embarrassing on-set moments from favorite Nick shows and past Kids' Choice Awards.
New Countdown-like Feature in the Website
You've got three great ideas here. Combining them would create a multi-layered countdown experience that gets more exciting as the show approaches.
A dynamic, slime-filled countdown. The homepage would feature a prominent countdown clock. The numbers would be initially "painted" on the screen by a digital slime brush that drips and splatters in real-time. As the show gets closer (e.g., within 30 days, etc.), the background would become more animated, with subtle, pulsing lights and a new, short clip from a different nominee appearing each day as the countdown updates. As the clock ticks down to the final hours, the screen would fill with more slime animations and a "behind-the-scenes" video would unlock each hour, building maximum anticipation.
New Voting Meter
Your concepts for a vertical bar and a thermometer are both visually appealing. A combination of the two could create a new type of real-time voting meter.
The "Slime-O-Meter." The on-screen and online voting meter would be a massive, virtual thermometer. On the website and the show, this meter would fill with different colored slimes as votes are cast. The meter would be segmented by nominee, so viewers could see which celebrity's "slime" is currently dominating the vote. The bar would be vertical, visually representing the competition. As the race gets tighter, the different colors of slime would mix and swirl, creating a dynamic visual that builds suspense.
3 Bonus Votes (KCA2017)
Users who vote on the official website will be given 3 bonus votes that they can use on any category of their choosing. This encourages more engagement with the website.
Mystery Special Guest
The "Slime Squad Reveal" allows fans to vote for a mystery guest from a list of three or more silhouettes. The winning celebrity would be revealed live on the orange carpet and would then become the "leader" of the "Slime Squad," a group of influencers who perform stunts throughout the show.
Mystery Slime Stunt
The "Slime Stunt" would be a vote-based stunt where fans choose a celebrity and a global location for a massive, surprise slime event.
New Animated Shorts
Short, animated vignettes featuring the nominees will play on-screen before each category is announced.
New Intro
The intro is a "Most Wanted" reel, showing animated "mugshots" and short clips of the night's biggest stars—the hosts, musical guests, and nominees—on a high-speed digital board. It gives the feeling of a superhero squad being assembled.
New "Blimp Going to Winner" Features (KCA2009)
Instead of a simple CGI blimp, a new augmented reality (AR) feature would show a virtual blimp flying from the top of The Sphere and landing in the hands of the winner on stage.
New Sponsorship
Taco Bell: A new "Slime-Tac" combo meal.
Target: A special line of KCA merchandise, including t-shirts and backpacks.
New Segments
New segments will include "Blimp Alert!", where random audience members get slimed if their phone alarm goes off, "Slime or Save," where celebrities are challenged to either get slimed or save another celebrity from a slime stunt, etc.
New Voting Website Design (KCA2017)
A clean, user-friendly design with a modern, blocky aesthetic and dynamic animations.
New Screenbug
Combining the animated "Splat" and the pixelated blimp drip would create a very active and unique screenbug.
The "Splat-Blimp" screenbug. The screenbug would be a simplified version of the new logo, with a glowing, animated Nickelodeon "Splat" in the corner. The splat would pulse with a bright green light that gets faster as the show's climax approaches. On occasion, the small blimp icon would hover above the text, and a pixelated slime splash would drop down and briefly cover the logo text before clearing, adding a dynamic, playful element to the screen.
New Gaming Room (KCA2003)
A gaming room is a great idea to highlight gamers and creators. A combination of a virtual arena and a physical cube would make it a central, must-see feature of the show.
The "Ultimate Gaming Arena" on the arena floor would be a transparent, soundproof "Gaming Cube." Inside, nominees would be playing and streaming live, with live commentary from a presenter. The cube's exterior would be lined with large, high-definition monitors displaying the gameplay for the audience. The entire cube would be a futuristic, Tron-inspired lounge with glowing lines and screens. When a gamer makes a big move or gets a high score, a special slime cannon on top of the cube would fire a small puff of slime, creating a visual celebration that gets the crowd excited. During commercial breaks, the match-ups would be projected on The Sphere's main screen, bringing the gaming action to the entire venue.
New Orange Carpet
The carpet would be a reflective, high-tech surface with embedded LED lights that could change color and display scrolling text.
New Background for Arrivals
The background would be a dynamic, interactive LED wall that displays the nominee's name, social media handles, and a custom animation for each person.
New Winner Photo
Winners would have their photo taken on a rotating platform with a 360-degree camera, capturing a slow-and-fast-motion video of them holding their blimp. The videos would be instantly posted to social media with a custom winner graphic.
New YouTube Video: "Orange Carpet Live: The Vibe Check"
This would be a live stream hosted by popular social media stars. It would feature celebrity interviews, fan questions from the live chat, and a "Vibe Check" segment where they react to the outfits and energy on the carpet.
New Stage
The combination of a central DJ booth and a floating digital island stage would create a truly unique visual experience for the show.
The "Slime Island" stage. The stage would be a circular, multi-level platform in the center of The Sphere, designed to look like a floating digital island. The "DJ Island," a central, rotating DJ booth, would be at the highest point, enclosed by a transparent LED screen that can display graphics, fan messages, and live polls. This island would be connected to the main stage by a slime-covered ramp, allowing the hosts and performers to move seamlessly between the two areas. The entire stage would be surrounded by programmable fountains that shoot green-lit water "slime" into the air during performances.
Key Features:
Elevated "Creator Pods": Small, elevated platforms on either side of the main stage for social media stars and creators to interact with the audience and participate in challenges.
Conveyor Belts: Moving conveyor belts on the stage floor and in the background would transport giant vats of green slime.
Pipes and Valves: Large, cartoonish pipes would crisscross the stage, with valves that could be "opened" to release streams of slime onto the stage or audience.
The Slime Vat: A massive, central "Slime Vat" would be the centerpiece of the stage, serving as the main location for the host to get slimed and for large-scale slime dumps.
Sliming Gates: On either side of the stage, two massive "gates" would be built in the shape of a stylized, dripping slime effect. When a winner is announced, these gates would open and a cascade of slime would fall into a transparent "slime tank" below, creating an awesome visual effect.
Floating Blimp Screen: A giant, holographic blimp would float above the stage, displaying the winner's name and category with a burst of virtual confetti. This keeps the classic symbol of the Kids' Choice Awards at the center of the show's identity.
Interactive Slime Cannon: The stage would feature a "Slime Cannon" that the host or a special guest can activate, shooting slime into the audience at specific moments.
Secret Slime Slides: At the end of the show, the hosts and a few celebrity guests could exit the stage by sliding down transparent slime-filled tubes.
Pop-up Platforms: As the music shifts, various platforms and ramps will "pop up" from the stage floor. These can be used for dancers, performers, and even to launch special effects like confetti or, of course, slime.
Holographic Nominee Projections: As nominees are announced, their animations would appear as large, transparent holograms floating above the stage, accompanied by a dynamic light show.
Interactive Voting Pods: Guests on the floor would have access to special pods where they can cast their votes in real-time, with their selections instantly displayed on a smaller screen within the pod.
Drone Cameras: High-flying, blimp-like drones with LED lights would capture unique aerial shots of the audience and stage, moving in sync with the music and lighting effects.
...and many more.
Kids' Choice Ultimate Dance Smackdown (Returns)
This classic segment (from KCA2010) returns with a twist. Three teams, each led by a top social media dancer, will compete in a series of dance-offs. The teams—Team Electric, Team Nova, and Team Blaze—will be judged by the audience and a surprise celebrity judge. The winning team will get a golden blimp and bragging rights.
New Interactive On-Screen Poll
All three of your ideas are great. Combining them would create a powerful, real-time voting system that's both suspenseful and fun.
The "Slime-It-or-Save-It" poll. The on-screen poll, "The KCA Live Vibe," would be a sleek, futuristic radar that appears during the show, showing the percentage of votes for each nominee in real time. This would build suspense by showing how close the race is. A separate, massive poll would be projected on The Sphere's screen, featuring all nominated stars from a category. The audience could vote in real time on whether to "Slime" one of the movies or "Save" it. The winning vote would be instantly reflected with vibrant graphics and sound effects, and the winning celebrity would either get slimed or perform a slime stunt, influencing the action live on stage.
New Interactive Printable Ballot
Combining a traditional ballot with a modern twist is a great way to engage a wider audience.
The "Retro-to-Realtime" ballot. This would be a retro-style, printable ballot that parents and kids could download from the KCA website. It would have a classic "fill-in-the-bubble" design for each category, with fun KCA-themed graphics. At the bottom of the ballot, each category would have a unique QR code. When a kid scans the code for a specific category with a smartphone, it would instantly take them to the live voting page for that category on the KCA website, allowing them to instantly submit their votes. This bridges the gap between a traditional, fun activity and the digital age.
International Awards
The show will feature international awards with winner scenes filmed in different countries, highlighting winners from South Africa, Australia, and beyond. Each segment will have unique, locally-themed slime stunts. The format would be a pre-taped special, with highlights aired during the main US broadcast.
New Intrusions
This is a fun way to add a playful, unexpected element to the broadcast.
The "Slime Overload." Throughout the broadcast, the normal screenbug would be "intruded upon" by various slime-themed animations. For example, a virtual pipe could appear from the top corner, "leaking" digital slime that drips down over the screenbug. Other times, a fast-moving, "blimp-drone" animation might whiz by and briefly "splatter" the screen with a slime effect before flying off. These would be random, brief moments that add to the energetic, slime-filled atmosphere of the show.
