Food Network Will Kick Off 2026 with a Fresh New Competition Series, “Baking Championship: Next Gen”

Food Network will introduce a new addition to the Baking Championship franchise, Baking Championship: Next Gen premiering Monday, January 5th @ 8PM ET/PT with hosts and judges, Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown. The pair of culinary experts helm the jam-packed pastry journey that will give a whole new meaning to sibling rivalry when 12 teams of siblings aged 8-14 compete to win $25,000 and become the next generation of Baking Champions. The wholesome and delightful confectionery competition will launch with a supersized two-hour qualifying round to determine who will continue across the eight subsequent episodes to clinch the prize. Once the competition begins, the sibling collaborators will take on tricky challenges like “breakfast dessert impostors,” “cream puff friendship bracelets,” and “animated cakes.” Each episode of Baking Championship: Next Gen will be available to stream the following day on HBO Max and discovery+.

“Fans will be wowed by these hilariously precocious and equally talented kids,” said Betsy Ayala, Head of Content, Food, Warner Bros. Discovery. “The sibling dynamic brings out the unique personalities of these young bakers and adds so much fun and sweetness, resulting in a nail-biting competition with a lot of heart.

In the supersized premiere, 12 young sibling teams will step into the pastry school-style kitchen and learn that they must try out for their spot in the Baking Championship: Next Gen competition. Hosts and judges Duff Goldman and Kardea Brown will put the teams through two rounds of skills challenges to assess which ten teams will move on, and which two teams will be eliminated before the competition even starts. In the first skills test, the nervous teams put up a dozen of their best cupcakes. For the second skills test, the teams must create a pie from scratch good enough to prove they have what it takes to compete.

The Baking Championship: Next Gen competitors include: Abby and Cameron Bellezza (Philadelphia, PA); Taanvi and Kavya Bhenderu (Cypress, TX); Genesis and Akbar Brooks (Seattle/Tacoma, WA); Jovie and Lenore Byler (Atlanta, GA); Harper and Holland Carroll (Boston, MA); Amelia and Clara Friesenhahn (New Braunfels, TX); Michael and Liam Nelson (Pleasant Grove, UT); Leila and Melody Nouri (Porter Ranch, CA); Emmett and Maci Sheets (Omak, WA); Leia and Kiera Sievert (Gilbert, AZ); Norah and Olivia Tatum (Dallas, TX); and Abigail and Kenneth Wolf (Geneseo, IL).

Fans can meet the kid bakers at FoodNetwork.com. Plus, go behind the scenes of Baking Championship: Next Gen with Duff and Kardea and discover more baking tips and tricks. Follow all the action on social media using #BakingChampionshipNextGen.

Baking Championship: Next Gen is produced by Sonic Dog for Food Network.