Victoria’s cutest babies of 2025 revealed
We asked you to vote and you narrowed down Victoria’s bubs into finalist categories. Now we can reveal who you chose as Victoria’s cutest babies.
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Hundreds of votes have been cast and, finally, we can announce who have been named Victoria’s cutest babies for 2025.
The Herald Sun and Geelong Advertiser were inundated with adorable photos and videos of the state’s most gorgeous bubs, and, after narrowing down the finalists, the winners can be revealed.
In some instances, there was just a vote or two between them.
Scroll down to see the winners.
0-3 months
SECOND RUNNER UP: FREDERICK CHRISTOPHER FERNANDO
Frederick’s mum Amanda De Vas Gunawardena said she was “proud and surprised” her young son was one of the top finalists, having been named second runner up in the 0-3 month category.
“I think he is the cutest, but I might be biased,” she said.
“He has such a beautiful smile.”
Ms De Vas Gunawardena said her son was a “chatterbox” and loved playing with his kick and go piano toy.
“He absolutely loves staring at it and bopping his head to the music,” she said.
“He will absolutely crack it at me if I turn it off.”
FIRST RUNNER UP: JUDD ROBSON CALNIN
Mitchell Calnin, proud dad of Judd Robson Calnin, said it was “hard to put into words” when describing what it had been like being a dad for the first time.
“He’s just amazing,” he said of the bub who placed second in the 0-3 month category.
“He’s starting to smile and mumble a bit which is pretty cute. Some of the stuff he does just makes your heart melt.
“You can be having the worst day at work and then you come home to him and all of a sudden you’re the happiest person having the best time.”
Mr Calnin said Judd’s photo — dressed in a brown beanie — was too cute not to enter in the competition.
WINNER: IVAR DANIEL FREEMAN
Ballarat’s Ivar Daniel Freeman has been named Victoria’s cutest baby in the 0-3 month category.
Madison Davis said she always wanted to be a mother and her son Ivar had a smile that always brightened her day.
“We just had a pretty rough start to life with Ivar,” Miss Davis said.
“He was in and out of special care nursery and he’s got a little hole in his heart so we just wanted to feel better about ourselves and put him out there
“I love being a mum — it’s the best thing I could have asked for.
“For him to be here is the best gift in the world: I love his smile, he’s got the biggest smile — he could light up a whole room.”
See all the 0-3 month old bubs in our galleries below:
3-6 months
SECOND RUNNER UP: DAVID KADE WILKES MOORE
Mum Siobhon Wilkes said it was “hard to believe” her little David had been named one of Victoria’s cutest babies.
“There were very many cute babies to choose from,” she said.
She said David, from Leopold, was a very happy baby, always smiling and giggling at everything.
Ms Wilkes said she loved every moment of being a mum.
“You never thought you could love something so much,” she said.
“You’ve got a little human being you’ve created, a little mini you.”
FIRST RUNNER UP: LOUIE JAMES LAMPOS
A serious shot of a little tot won the hearts of readers across Victoria.
The votes streaming in for Louie James Lampos for Victoria’s cutest baby competition, earning him second place in the 3-6 month old category.
Dad James Lampos said he entered Louie’ passport photo as a “bit of fun”.
“We had to get him looking serious for his passport, no smiling!” Mr Lampos said.
“He was asleep when we got to the post office for the photo and I had to wake him up, that’s how we got that photo.”
Mr Lampos, 66, has taken a year off work to look after Louie, his fourth child and third son.
“I have a restaurant and my wife has a nail bar,” he said.
“I think our customers are all voting for Louie!”
WINNER: HUDSON MURPHY
Proud mum Michelle Murphy reckons she might be “a bit biased”, but it seems Victoria agrees with her, with six-month-old Hudson named winner of the 3-6 month old category.
“He’s just learnt to roll over, so that’s fun,” Ms Murphy laughed.
While Hudson isn’t saying words yet, there’s no shortage of baby talk in the Murphy household.
“We’ve got lots of baby talk happening at the moment,” Ms Murphy said, adding it felt “pretty good” to see so much of Victoria backing her bundle of joy’s cuteness.
See all the 3-6 month old bubs in our galleries below:
6-12 months
SECOND RUNNER UP: ROYCE RAYMOND GRACE
For Lara local Chloe Mckiernan, entering baby competitions is a rite of passage.
“Mum always had us in baby shows growing up, I know it’s a bit cliche and stuff but he’s my first baby so I wanted to put him in (the Herald Sun and Geelong Advertiser’s competition),” she said.
“Obviously everyone thinks their baby is the cutest but it’s a little moment that in 20 years from now when he’s 20 or whatever he can look back and see it in the paper, so I guess it’s a little memento to look back on in the future.”
Miss Mckiernan said it had been absolutely “amazing” being a mum to Royce, and she relished in “seeing all the aspects they pick up like trying to stand up for the first time or pointing with their fingers and just witnessing them growing into their personalities”.
FIRST RUNNER UP: PIPPA REID
Katarina Reid couldn’t believe her daughter Pippa had come in second.
“I’m surprised so many people voted for her,” the Melbourne mum said.
Ms Reid entered the competition after her stepdad saw the competition and sent it to her.
“I was confident going into it, but I didn’t even vote, so I’m surprised she made it as a finalist,” she said.
Her favourite thing to do as a young mum is cuddle her “adorable” baby and take her on “skinny girl walks in the morning for coffees”.
“I used to think she was so cute drinking out of my drink bottle, until I realised after sipping from it she was sucking it and spitting it back into the drink bottle.”
WINNER: ASTON BATSIS
Proud mum Georgia Widdop admits she may be biased, but says her tiny tot Aston is a certified cutie.
“I suppose everyone’s a bit biased about their kids but obviously I’m a reader of the Herald Sun and saw the competition so thought I’d put him in and see,” she said.
“It’d be pretty special (to win) because I’ve got this little book I’m making for him to have when he’s a bit older.
‘I’ve already taken little screenshots of things I can put in it like a little story book for him to have a look at when he’s older, so he can look back and know he was in the Herald Sun.”
The new mum said having Aston had completely shifted her mindset on life.
“Being a parent is just a completely different route of life,” she said.
“With my work life I was very focused and regimented with how I went about things, so it’s really changed my perspective on how I am because with parenting there’s no really set way of doing things.
“Depending on the child you have you have to have an open mindset and be open to meeting new people and giving things a go.”
See all the 6-12 month old bubs in our galleries below:
12-18 months
SECOND RUNNER UP: ISAAC BURSLEM
Mum Pauline Delos Trinos said she felt “very reassured” to know her 15-month-old baby, Isaac Burslem, was one of the cutest in the state.
“Every parent thinks their baby’s cute and every baby is cute, but to have all that voting, it’s just very reassuring,” she said.
“We’ve been very lucky with Isaac – he is really chill and really good. Of course, all babies cry, but he hasn’t given us a lot of headaches.”
The 34-year-old mum said Isaac had been nicknamed “Stitch” from Lilo and Stitch because he made the “cutest” noises like the cartoon character.
“He just gives us this little smile here and there – and that makes everything better,” she said.
FIRST RUNNER UP: THEODORE FIRMER
Theodore Firmer, the runner up in the 12-18 month category, is learning new things every day and mum Shennae Noonan loves to watch him grow.
Ms Noonan, of Benalla, said she entered Theodore, or Theo as he sometimes goes by, in the vote after her dad sent a picture of the QR code in the Herald Sun and told her she had to enter him.
“I also think he is the cutest baby,” she said.
“It was fun to enter and it’s exciting for him to be a finalist.”
Ms Noonan said she loved cuddles from Theodore before bedtime.
She said it was also cute when he started copying what he watched her do, like helping make the beds in the morning by handing her the pillows.
“Babies are watching everything and then they comprehend it and start doing it with you and start communicating in their own little ways,” she said.
WINNER: MAKOA VAN DER LEE
Norlane mum Jayelle Zappelli has urged new parents to trust their instincts when it comes to parenting.
Little Makoa, who took a while to learn how to sleep through the night, has been voted the cutest baby in the 12-18 month category.
“My partner and I were over the moon when we found out we were expecting, having been trying for 5 years,” Ms Zappelli said.
“At 35 weeks, our Makoa arrived after some difficulties in my pregnancy, it was not how we imagined with the first two weeks at hospital but we were just so happy to have our baby boy here.
“The labour experience and parenthood has been so rewarding and we are so blessed to have experienced it.”
See all the 12-18 month old bubs in our galleries below:
18-24 months
SECOND RUNNER UP: AVERY BROOKE
When Nicholas Brooke entered his son in the cutest baby contest he “was doing it for a laugh” but little Avery ended up coming in third.
Mr Brooke was quietly confident of Avery’s chances but was surprised to hear the tot was a finalist due to “a number of cute babies out there, so it’s a tough competition,” Mr Brooke said.
The new dad has loved his time with his first child and really enjoyed “watching him grow and develop his funny personality. He’s becoming a bit of a joker and loves being silly”.
The toddler has started to sing “but is struggling to get a grasp of the words, so he’s singing his own versions of songs”, Mr Brooke said, adding he was looking forward to “telling everyone”.
“You’ve got to flex it,” he said.
FIRST RUNNER UP: MILAH RALPH
New mum Maddy Weyburg said it was only after a gentle nudge that she decided to enter her bub in the competition.
Now, little Milah has been named runner up in the 18-24 month category.
“A family friend recommended the competition and I was like ‘oh why not’,” she said.
“It’s pretty special to have Milah voted as one of the cutest babies, I mean we already knew it but it’s nice to know that there’s been people voting as well.
“To put it simply she’s changed our whole world.
“She’s super sassy, like this morning she woke me up saying ‘morning mummy’ and gave me a kiss on the head, she’s just so beautiful.”
WINNER: AMARLIE SPARK
Proud mum Kayla Hensel entered her baby Amelia Spark into the cutest baby competition “to see how she went”.
She went pretty well, considering she won the 18-24 month category.
Amarlie, from Geelong’s Armstrong Creek, and her mum were both “very excited” to be given a chance in the contest.
“My favourite cute moment is every time a camera comes out she instantly starts smiling saying cheeeeeese …” Miss Hensel said.
She said her favourite thing about parenting was creating memories to last a lifetime.
See all the 18-24 month old bubs in our galleries below:
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