Nicole and Christian Laeno Join Teen of the Year Campaign

Creator siblings Nicole and Christian Laeno are special guests for Colossal’s Teen of the Year, a national search for young people that supports Matthew McConaughey’s just keep livin Foundation.

Ask most teenagers what they’re proud of and you might get a shrug. Teen of the Year wants to change that. The new national competition from Colossal invites young people to share their passions, their character and the ways they show up for others. It has also brought in two creators who know that journey firsthand.

Dancer and creator Nicole Laeno and her brother Christian Laeno are special guests for the campaign. Together, they front creator-led content designed to get teens, parents and supporters involved. MN2S secured the siblings’ role, putting two relatable faces at the front of a campaign built around young people.

What is Teen of the Year?

Colossal opened registration on 20 October 2026. Entry is free for teens aged 13 to 19 in the United States and Canada, excluding Quebec. Parents or guardians register entrants under 18, while 18 and 19-year-olds can sign up themselves.

The prize package is substantial. One teen will win $20,000, a feature on Complex and a red carpet experience at a movie premiere with Matthew McConaughey. According to the official announcement, the Complex package also includes a dedicated site takeover and VIP passes to ComplexCon 2027.

Entrants introduce themselves and rally their communities through public voting rounds. Funds raised go through Action Initiative Team (AIT), a US public charity. AIT then makes a grant to the just keep livin Foundation at the end of the competition.

Why Nicole and Christian Laeno are the right fit

Nicole has grown up online, and her audience has grown up with her. She began vlogging her daily life as a young dancer, and that honest approach earned her a Shorty Awards nomination for Vlogger of the Year. Her professional credits include Meghan Trainor’s “No Excuses” music video and the Snapchat Original series Boss Cheer. Colossal says she now has an online following of more than 10 million.

Christian brings a different story. He has played music for more than 18 years and is now building a career in finance. That contrast matters. Between them, the siblings show that passion can take many shapes, from the dance floor to the studio to the office.

Their family channel, The Laeno Family, adds another layer. Viewers already know the siblings as people, not just personalities. As a result, their message feels like a recommendation from someone you know rather than a polished advert.

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Inside the creator-led campaign

The activation centres on social content. Nicole’s channels carry sponsored Instagram and Facebook ads, while the siblings appear together in a joint Instagram post introducing the Laeno Family to Teen of the Year followers. Short promotional videos and website engagement content support the wider campaign.

The launch post sets the tone. “Talent comes in many forms,” it opens, before introducing the siblings as two people who turned what they love into something bigger. It then asks followers a simple question: do you know a teen who deserves to be recognised?

That framing is smart because it speaks to two audiences at once. Teens see peers they recognise. Meanwhile, parents and guardians, who must register younger entrants, get a clear call to action. Every piece of content points back to the same goal: more entries, more voters and more support for the cause.

Why peer voices work in youth marketing

Young audiences spot a sales pitch quickly. They tend to trust creators who feel like a friend or an older sibling far more than a traditional celebrity endorsement. Consequently, youth campaigns increasingly lean on creators whose lives look familiar.

The Laenos fit that model closely. Additionally, pairing two creators with different paths widens the campaign’s reach. Nicole connects with dance, entertainment and vlogging fans, whereas Christian speaks to teens weighing up music, study and a future career.

The star power, by contrast, sits elsewhere in the campaign. Matthew McConaughey and Complex provide the headline prize appeal, while the siblings provide everyday relatability. Together, those layers give Teen of the Year both aspiration and accessibility.

Mary Hagen, CEO of Colossal, summed up the thinking in the official announcement: “Attention can open doors. What matters is what you do with it.”

Supporting the just keep livin Foundation

Matthew and Camila McConaughey founded the just keep livin Foundation to help high school students lead active, healthy lives. Its programmes cover exercise, teamwork, gratitude, nutrition and community service. Colossal says the foundation serves more than 3,500 students a year across 23 US cities.

The fit with Teen of the Year is clear. A competition that celebrates young people who show up for others naturally supports a charity built on the same values.

Colossal’s growing track record in cause-led competitions

Teen of the Year sits within a wider portfolio. Colossal reports raising more than $256 million for charity since 2022, through annual competitions such as Baby of the Year, America’s Favorite Pet and Youth Athlete of the Year. The company has also worked with high-profile talent across sport and entertainment, including Olympic champion Allyson Felix for The Unstoppable Project.

That model depends on talent that connects with each audience. For a youth competition, that means voices teens already follow and trust.

What brands can learn from this partnership

When the audience is young, credibility comes from familiarity. Teens respond to creators whose journeys they have watched unfold. Parents, similarly, respond to talent they feel comfortable recommending.

MN2S saw the fit and made it happen, placing two relatable creators at the heart of a campaign about purposeful young people. For brands and charities planning youth-focused activations, the takeaway is clear. Choose talent your audience already knows, and let them speak like themselves.

To find the right creators for your next campaign, explore MN2S brand partnerships.