Google alert! Seattle-area teen wins Doodle contest with artwork celebrating hair and culture

The Google homepage has a special look this morning thanks to the artwork of a Seattle-area teen.

Kameirah Johnson, a senior at Lakeside School, is the winner of the 2026 Doodle for Google contest, and her work is now displayed online for the millions of people who visit the search giant.

Kameirah, 18, of Renton, Wash., beat out tens of thousands of submissions from K-12 students in the annual contest. The 2026 theme was “My superpower is …” and her original work, titled “Hair Power: The Crown That Grows from Us” celebrates hair as a symbol of identity and inherited strength.

In April, Kameirah was selected as one of five finalists and Thursday she appeared on “TODAY” in New York to be revealed as the winner. She said she was “super excited” that her artwork could reach so many people.

The artwork depicts three figures — inspired by Kameirah, her mother Simone, and her sister Kalieyah — lying in the grass, their hair styled as crowns. She told “TODAY” that growing up black she learned to have a lot of pride in her hair, and her biggest inspiration is her mom.

“When I was a little kid, I’d go to preschool and every single week I’d have new hairstyle, whether it’s braids, afro puffs, etc.,” Kameirah said. “And she just really taught me to love my hair and love my culture and who I am.”

In the fall, Kameirah is headed to NYU — her “dream school” since she was 11 — to study economics and studio arts, with an eye toward the intersection of art and business. She hopes to own a gallery someday.

The top prize comes with a $55,000 college scholarship and a $50,000 technology package for Kameirah’s school.

Asked by “TODAY” what she hopes people will take away from her artwork, Kameirah said she hopes people will “feel inspired to live in their own skin, express themselves and be who they are.”

Now in its 17th year, the Doodle for Google contest has attracted Seattle-area winners in the past. Mahee Chandrasekhar, a ninth grader at Redmond High School, was the Washington state winner in the 16th contest. In 2023, sixth-grader Rebecca Wu of the International School in Bellevue, had her artwork recognized.