Oprah's Favorite Things Turns 30 With 79-Item 2026 List and First Audience Giveaway Episode in 15 Years

Oprah Winfrey released her 2026 Favorite Things list on Nov. 12, marking the guide's 30th anniversary with 79 picks sold through a new Amazon storefront. She also surprised an audience of caregivers with the gifts in a special episode of "The Oprah Podcast," her first audience giveaway episode in 15 years.

Nov 13, 2026 - 11:15

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Oprah Winfrey released her 2026 "Oprah's Favorite Things" holiday gift list on Thursday, Nov. 12, marking the 30th anniversary of the annual guide. The list was first shared with USA Today and published in full by Oprah Daily. USA Today reported that this year's edition has 79 picks, down from 112 selections last year, with prices ranging from a $2,759 mattress and tech products above $1,000 to $26 lip glosses and a $32 puzzle.

According to Daily Front Row, every item is available through a new Oprah's Favorite Things storefront on Amazon, and the full list will appear in Oprah Daily's special print 2026 Holiday Edition, on newsstands nationwide Nov. 17.

A tradition that began with plaid pajamas

In her introduction to the list, Winfrey described how the feature started. "Thirty years ago, I bought a pair of plaid pajamas that I loved so much, I got them for everyone on my staff," she wrote, as published by Oprah Daily. "Then a brilliant producer said, 'Why don't you do this for the whole audience?' And that was the start of Favorite Things."

People reported that a pair of Karen Neuburger pajamas was Winfrey's first-ever Favorite Thing. That exact style has since been retired, the magazine noted.

First audience giveaway episode in 15 years

To mark the anniversary, Winfrey returned to the audience giveaway format of the list's early years. Page Six reported that for the first time in 15 years she gathered an unsuspecting audience, this time made up of caregivers, and surprised them with gifts from the list. The special was released as an episode of "The Oprah Podcast."

USA Today, which attended the taping, reported that more than 100 caregivers took part, including nurses, emergency medical services personnel and people caring for loved ones and animals. Oprah Daily put the audience at 120 caregivers in New York City. "I wanted to do something special for all of you who give yourselves in so many ways," Winfrey told the audience, according to USA Today.

The episode includes an appearance by author Allen Levi, whose novel "Theo of Golden" is on the list, and a live performance by Grammy-winning musician Jacob Collier, according to Page Six and Daily Front Row. PodcastingToday reported that the episode is available on Prime Video, Fire TV Channels, Winfrey's YouTube channel, Amazon Music, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Daily Front Row added that viewers can shop the featured products through Amazon Live and Prime Video's "Shop the Show" feature.

Celebrity-linked picks on the 2026 list

Several items come with famous connections. USA Today reported that the list includes the Goldbelly Doan's Bakery white chocolate coconut Bundt cake, which Winfrey calls the "Tom Cruise cake." "He sends it every December to hundreds of friends in Hollywood," she wrote. The cake is priced at $140.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has her As Ever lifestyle brand on the list for the second year in a row with a $250 picnic hamper, according to USA Today. Winfrey also chose On's Roger Clubhouse Pro 2 sneakers, which were co-designed by tennis champion Roger Federer and cost $180, and Rag & Bone's Miramar jacket and pants. The pants are printed to look like denim but are made of a stretch fabric. "Gayle wears hers all the time," Winfrey wrote, referring to CBS anchor Gayle King.

Oprah Daily reported that the list also includes a Wizard of Oz ruby slippers gift set made by designer Jill Martin with Lorna Luft, Judy Garland's youngest daughter, inspired by the film's presentation at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

First-time brands and small businesses

Daily Front Row reported that brands appearing on the list for the first time include Nike, Gap, Louis Vuitton, WeGym, On, Jennifer Fisher, The North Face, Saatva, The Farmer's Dog, Terra Kaffe and Stella McCartney. The small businesses it named include Montemaré, Acorn Press, Esker Beauty, Musee and Sister Golden. The outlet also counted 30 items priced under $100.

The first product Winfrey picked this year was the $40 Uniball Zento Signature Pen, according to Daily Front Row and USA Today. Oprah Daily reported that her final pick was a Noel Jolie body cream. Other items include a $700 The North Face Summit Nuptse jacket, a $1,116 WeGym dumbbell set with rack and a $79 Ridge power bank, according to USA Today. Good Housekeeping reported that a Samsung The Frame Pro TV made the list for the second year in a row, and that the list also includes a Saatva latex hybrid mattress, Darn Tough hiking socks and Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve.

How the list is chosen

Oprah Daily creative director Adam Glassman told the magazine that the selection process starts in January. Thousands of products are tested over several months before the list is narrowed to roughly 79 items. "They really are her favorite things," Glassman said. The magazine reported that Winfrey has tried and tested every item on the list. Glassman works with Oprah Daily market director Rae Ann Herman and associate market editor Justine Anthony.

The magazine reported that some brands appear again and again. Winfrey said Truff hot sauce has been on the list "six times, I think," and Ugg has been included more than 10 times. Glassman described the feature as "a purpose-driven gift list," saying it gives small businesses and inclusive companies visibility they would otherwise not have.