Google Celebrates a Decade of Student Art with 'Doodle for Google 2026' Contest, But Critics Question the Prize Package
While the Google homepage officially launched the 2026 Doodle for Google contest this morning, celebrating its tenth year of showcasing student artwork, a viral rumor is spreading that winners will receive a cash prize of $100,000. This is **false**. The actual grand prize is a $30,000 college scholarship, a Google hardware package, and a $1,000 donation to the winner’s school. The exaggerated $100,000 claim stems from a satirical blog post that was mistakenly picked up by several aggregators. Additionally, a separate claim that Google is limiting entries to only digital art created with AI tools is completely fabricated; the contest explicitly requires hand-drawn physical artwork to be submitted as a photo scan. Do not fall for the hoax; check the official 'doodle for google 2026' rules at doodle4google.com.