LOS ANGELES—Playboy today announced that fan voting is officially open for The Great Playmate Search—Playboy's global digital casting competition to discover a 2026 Playmate of the Month and inside cover star.
Members on the Playboy platform can now cast one free vote per day for favorite contestants at vote.playboy.com, with additional paid voting options available to “boost contestant visibility and unlock exclusive content,” promotional materials explain.
Voting will determine the top 50 finalists who will then advance to interview rounds with the judging panel beginning in December. The judges include legacy Playmates Shanna Moakler, Daphnée Duplaix, Summer Altice, Brande Roderick, Gillian Nation and newly announced celebrity photographer and director Alana O'Herlihy.
Two winners will be selected from the competition:
The Playmate Pictorial Competition winner will be featured as a Playmate of the Month in the Spring 2026 issue of Playboy, with a full pictorial photographed by O'Herlihy. The winner will also receive a $25,000 cash prize, an all-expenses-paid professional photoshoot, inclusion in the official 2027 Playboy Calendar, one year of premium Honey Birdette lingerie (a new set each month), signature modeling opportunities with Playboy partners—including Honey Birdette, Playboy Shop, and PSD—and the creation of a personal signature PSD collection with royalties and placement across PSD's global network, the company said.
An Inside Cover Competition winner will be awarded a feature on the inside cover of an upcoming issue of Playboy, also shot by O'Herlihy. The Inside Cover winner will receive a $15,000 cash prize, one year of premium Honey Birdette lingerie (12 sets), signature modeling opportunities, a personal signature PSD collection and exclusive VIP event access.
Additionally, the 20 runners-up for both competitions will each receive a Honey Birdette lingerie set valued at $350.
