Rose Parade 2026 awards announced: Top honor goes to Cal Poly Universities
The Rose Parade’s 2025 Sweepstakes Award, marking the most beautiful entry, was presented to the Cal Poly Universities early Thursday.
This is the seventh time a self-built float has been honored with the Sweepstakes Trophy and the first time for Cal Poly Universities.
The Pasadena Tournament of Roses announced the 23 floats awarded official honors, recognizing excellence in a variety of categories. The winners, alphabetically, were:
—Americana (Most outstanding depiction of national treasures and traditions Travel) South Dakota (AES)
—Animation (Most outstanding use of animation) Kindness is Free Powered by Boys & Girls Clubs of WSGV&E (AES)
—Bob Hope Humor (Most whimsical and amusing float) City of Alhambra (Phoenix)
—Crown City Innovator (Most outstanding use of imagination, innovation and technology) Shrinking, Apple TV and Warner Bros. Television (Phoenix)
—Director (Most outstanding artistic design and use of floral and non-floral materials) The UPS Store (AES)
—Extraordinaire (Most extraordinary float) San Francisco Travel Association (Fiesta)
—Fantasy (Most outstanding display of fantasy and imagination) Rising Together (AES)
—Founder (Most outstanding float built and decorated by volunteers from a community or organization) Downey Rose Float Association (Self)
—Golden State (Most outstanding depiction of life in California) Odd Fellows & Rebekahs (Phoenix)
—Grand Marshal (Most outstanding creative concept and float design) San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (AES)
—Isabella Coleman (Most outstanding presentation of color and color harmony through floral design) Elks U.S.A. (Phoenix)
—Judges (Most outstanding float design and dramatic impact) Sierra Madre Rose Float Association (Self)
—Leishman Public Spirit (Most outstanding floral presentation from a non-commercial participant) America250 (Fiesta)
—Mayor (Most outstanding float from a participating city) La Cañada Flintridge (Self)
—Past President (Most outstanding innovation in the use of floral and non-floral materials) City of South Pasadena (Self)
—President (Most outstanding use and presentation of flowers) OneLegacy Donate Life (AES)
—Princess (Most outstanding floral presentation among entries 35 feet and under in length) City of Torrance (Fiesta)
—Queen (Most outstanding presentation of roses) City of Santa Fe Springs (Phoenix)
—Showmanship (Most outstanding display of showmanship and entertainment) Shriner Children’s (Phoenix)
—Sweepstakes (Most beautiful entry: encompassing float design, floral presentation and entertainment) Cal Poly Universities (Self)
—Theme (Most outstanding presentation of the Rose Parade Theme) City of Burbank (Self)
—Tournament Volunteer (Most outstanding floral presentation of the Rose Parade Theme among floats 35 feet and under in length) Lions International (Phoenix)
—Wrigley Legacy (Most outstanding display of floral presentation, float design and entertainment) Traders Joe’s (Phoenix)
This year’s panel of float judges selected by the Tournament of Roses includes an award-winning float designer, a former Disney executive and the landscape manager at Dodger Stadium.
Meet Cathy Hillen-Rulloda, Doris Hardoon and Chaz Perea.
Each year, a three-person panel selects 24 float awards highlighting excellence in categories including float design, floral presentation and entertainment value.
The sweepstakes trophy is presented to the most beautiful entry and is the most coveted award each year.
Along with his duties at Dodger Stadium, Perea is a horticulture professor at Mt. San Antonio College. Perea and his team have reimagined the stadium grounds with drought tolerant, native plants. They transformed the venerable L.A. landmark into the first U.S. sports arena accredited as a botanic garden.
Hardoon contributed early design work for EPCOT and later served as executive creative director and producer on landmark developments including Shanghai Disney Resort.
Hillen-Rulloda’s floral designs have earned top honors in multiple competitions and have appeared on stages like the 1984 Olympic games. She is a certified floral judge and instructor at the Southern California School of Floral Design. Hillen-Rulloda is returning to the Rose Parade on the 50th anniversary of her march down Colorado Boulevard as part of the St. Albans, West Virginia high school marching band.