Trevor Noah, Nickelodeon and 'Time' Announce Finalists for 'Kid of the Year' Honor

Trevor Noah, Nickelodeon and 'Time' are shining a light on a few very special kids.

Trevor Noah, Nickelodeon and Time are shining a light on a few very special kids.

On Monday, Nickelodeon, Time and Time for Kids announced the top 20 finalists for the first-ever "Kid of the Year" honor, which will recognize extraordinary young leaders who are making a positive impact in their communities. The top five honorees from the list will be featured in a TV special hosted by Noah, with one kid ultimately being recognized as "Kid of the Year" and featured on a cover of Time with a companion story in Time for Kids.

The Kid of the Year TV special -- which will simulcast across Nickelodeon, CBS Television Network, TeenNick and Nicktoons on Saturday, Dec. 5, at 8 p.m. ET/PT -- will introduce the top five honorees ahead of the ultimate "Kid of the Year" being named, and will feature celebrities from entertainment, sports and pop culture to help surprise them and celebrate their work. Celebrity guests scheduled to make appearances include Kristen Bell, Simone Biles, Brie Larson, Zachary Levi, Russell Westbrook and more.

The top 20 "Kid of the Year" finalists were selected following a nationwide search that received over 5,000 kids being nominated. See more in the video above.

In an exclusive statement to ET in May, Noah noted, "In the unprecedented times that we are living in today, it has been inspiring to see humanity come together to help one another, and I've been especially drawn to the stories of kids using their creativity to bring resources to their communities. After all, the person who's going to bring us a better tomorrow is a kid who's out there doing it today!"

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