Spotlight Pantone unveils 2026 color of the year, and it may surprise you Anna Kaufman USA TODAY Dec 5, 2025 Dec 5, 2025 Updated Mar 9, 2026 0 Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save As 2025's cultural retrospectives begin to trickle in (read: Spotify Wrapped or Oxford's word of the year), Pantone is not to be outdone.kAm%96 72>65 4@=@C 724E@CJ @? %9FCD52J C6=62D65 :ED D9256 @7 E96 FA4@>:?8 J62C[ @C A6C92AD >@C6 2AAC@AC:2E6=J 7@C a_ae[ :ED =24< @7 D9256] %96 4@>A2?JVD r@=@C x?DE:EFE6 AC@;64E65 E92E E96 DH2E49 >@DE 2AAC@AC:2E6 7@C ?6IE J62C :D r=@F5 s2?46C[ 56D4C:365 2D Q2 3:==@HJ[ 32=2?465 H9:E6 :>3F65 H:E9 2 766=:?8 @7 D6C6?:EJ]Qk^Am Cloud Dancer, from Pantone Pantone, The Development kAmz?@H? E@ E96 @E96C 49:AD 2E $96CH:?\(:==:2>D 2D !2?E@?6 ``\ca_`[ E@ E96 F?EC2:?65 :E =@@<D[ H6==[ H9:E6] {66 t:D6>2?[ !2?E@?6VD r@=@C x?DE:EFE6VD 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C[ 2?5 '! {2FC:6 !C6DD>2? 368 E@ 5:776C[ E9@F89]k^Am kAm%96:C 42C66CD[ DE66A65 =:E6C2==J :? 4@=@C[ 2C6 C65F465 @?46 2 J62C E@ 2 C2:D65 6J63C@H 2D ?@?\56D:8? AC@76DD:@?2=D H@?56C H9J @? 62CE9 E92E D9256 H2D 4C@H?65 E96 H:??6C] xEVD 2 A2:?DE2<:?8 2?5 C2E96C E649?:42= AC@46DD[ 24EF2==J[ E92E 56E6C>:?6D !2?E@?6VD 9F6 @7 E96 >@>6?E] %@ 9F>@C FD ?@C>:6D[ E9@F89[ !C6DD>2? 2?5 t:D6>2? 25>:E E92E E96 4@=@C >2J =@@< =:<6 A=2:? H9:E6 — 3FE C62==J[ :EVD 2 >6DD286 E92E E96 H@C=5 ?665D 2 3=2?< D=2E6]k^Am People are also reading… Franklin County leaned overwhelmingly against redistricting as vote passed statewide Franklin County man sentenced in fatal Henry County crash Products at 3 Rocky Mount vape shops seized for possibly illegal THC amounts Franklin County residents push back on proposed tax increases, zoning changes Judge reinstates Martinsville's mayor, delays hearing Virginia voters narrowly pass redistricting referendum Why Franklin County increased its real estate tax by 4 cents Rocky Mount keeps tax rates level, but service rates will increase Osprey races, Earth Day cleanup set for Smith Mountain Lake State Park Virginia budget leaders look for $1.6 billion from data centers Rocky Mount mayor wins ‘Kiss the Pig’ at Spencer-Penn fundraiser Richmond judge dismisses Republican bid to block new maps Pentagon fired US Navy Secretary John Phelan, source says General Assembly dismisses Spanberger's changes on major bills Monte Coleman, a mainstay of Washington's Super Bowl teams, dead at 68 kAmr=@F5 s2?46C[ 2 H9:E6 E92E :D 3@E9 H2C> 2?5 4@@=[ C67=64ED 2? @G6CH96=>65 766=:?8 2>@?8 4@?DF>6CD 2D E96 H@C=5 766=D =@F56C 2?5 E649?@=@8J[ :? A2CE:4F=2C px[ 6?4C@2496D 7FCE96C :?E@ @FC =:G6D]k^Am kAm!6@A=6 2C6 Q766=:?8 3@>32C565[Q !C6DD>2? E6==D &$p %~sp*[ 2?5 2C6 =@@<:?8 7@C 2 Q7C6D9 DE2CE]Qk^Am Pantone's color of the year is Cloud Dancer. Pantone kAmQx7 6G6CJ@?6VD 766=:?8 E9:D @G6C=@25[ E96C6VD D@>6E9:?8 E92EVD ;FDE ?@E H@C<:?8 C:89E[Q D96 255D] Q(6 H2?E E@ 36 H:E9 E9:?8D E92E 2C6 C62=[ 2?5 Wr=@F5 s2?46CX 8@6D G6CJ H6== H:E9 E9:D ?2EFC6\32D65 766=:?8 … 9@?6DE 362FEJ[ ?@ DA64E24=6D[ ?@ 7:=E6CD]Q %92E E96 4@=@C 6G@<6D =@@<:?8 FA E@ E96 4=@F5D @? 2 4=62C 52J D9@F=5 766= =:<6 2 C6EFC? E@ 7@C> 2D E96 H@C=5 DA:?D >25=J @?]k^Am kAmQxEVD ?@E E@@ 4@@=[ :EVD ?@E E@@ H2C>[Q t:D6>2? 255D] QxEVD E96 <:?5 @7 4@=@C E92E x 42? FD6 H:E9 ;FDE 23@FE 6G6CJE9:?8 E92E x 92G6 :? E96 C@@>]Qk^Am Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | Omny Studio kAm$96 :D?VE >F49 3@E96C65 3J E96 :562 E92E A6@A=6 >2J D2J Q:EVD ;FDE H9:E6]Q u@C 96C[ 2?J 4@?G6CD2E:@? 23@FE 4@=@C :D 2 H:?] p?5 r=@F5 s2?46C :D 2 AC@5F4E @7 :ED 6A@49[ ;FDE =:<6 6G6CJ !2?E@?6 D9256 @7 E96 J62CD E92E 42>6 367@C6 :E]k^AmkAmQ(6 92G6 E@ =@@< H:E9:? E96 4@?E6IE @7 E96 E:>6[Q D96 D2JD] Qr@=@C :D 23@FE 4@?E6IE]Qk^AmkAmx7 E92E C:?8D ECF6[ E96 ?6IE BF6DE:@? >:89E :?6G:E23=J 36 — 2E 2? :?4C65:3=J E6?D6 >@>6?E :? E96 &]$][ 7@==@H:?8 244FD2E:@?D @7 H9:E6 DFAC6>24J 3=665:?8 :?E@ 25G6CE:D6>6?ED 2?5 2 C:D6 @7 H9:E6 ?2E:@?2=:D> :? A@=:E:4D[ 2C6 E96 7@=<D 2E !2?E@?6 2E 2== 4@?46C?65 23@FE E96 >6DD286 r=@F5 s2?46C >:89E 36 D6?5:?8nk^Am kAm}@E A2CE:4F=2C=J[ :E D66>D]k^AmkAmQ%96 !2?E@?6 r@=@C @7 E96 *62C D6=64E:@? AC@46DD :D 5C:G6? 3J 9F>2?:EJ 2?5 3J E96 6>@E:@?2= C6D@?2?46 :?96C6?E :? E96 4@=@C[Q t:D6>2? 2?5 !C6DD>2? D2:5 :? 2 ;@:?E DE2E6>6?E] Qr=@F5 s2?46C :D 2 4@=@C E92E :D 23@FE C6=2I2E:@?[ C67=64E:@?[ 2?5 4C62E:G:EJ — E96 4@=@C H2D D6=64E65 3J E96 8=@32= E62> 2E E96 !2?E@?6 r@=@C x?DE:EFE6 7@C :ED 6>@E:@?2= 2?5 4C62E:G6 C6D@?2?46[ ?@E 2D 2 DE2?46 @? A@=:E:4D[ :56@=@8J @C C246]k^Am kAmQ!2?E@?6 5@6D ?@E 2DD:8? @C 2>A=:7J A@=:E:42= ?2CC2E:G6D E@ 4@=@C[ D@ D6=64E:?8 @C 2G@:5:?8 2 4@=@C D@=6=J @? E92E 32D:D H@F=5 8:G6 E9@D6 ?2CC2E:G6D 2 H6:89E E96J 5@?’E 92G6 :? E9:D AC@46DD[Q E96J 25565]k^Am The Tropical Tonalites pallete that accompanies Cloud Dancer Pantine kAm(@CE9 ?@E:?8 2=D@ :D E92E r=@F5 s2?46C :D ?@E 2 A2CE:4F=2C=J D@=:E2CJ 4C62EFC6] xE 2CC:G6D 2C> :? 2C> H:E9 2 D=2E6 @7 244@>A2?J:?8 A2=6EE6D E92E 96=A :E D92A6\D9:7E 2?5 D9@H42D6 :ED QG6CD2E:=:EJ]Q (:E9 ?2>6D =:<6 pE>@DA96C:4[ %C@A:42= %@?2=:E6D 2?5 !@H56C65 !2DE6=D[ E96 A2=6EE6D @776C 2 >@C6 C@3FDE G:D:@? @7 !2?E@?6VD 2AAC@249 E@ E96 D9256]k^AmkAmQx7 J@F 92G6 2 4@=@C E92E :D >@C6 G6CD2E:=6[ >@C6 2446DD:3=6[Q !C6DD>2? D2JD[ QE96C6 W2C6X D@ >2?J >@C6 5:776C6?E H2JD E92E x 42? AFE >J @H? DE2>A @? :E]Qk^Am Nation & World Zohran Mamdani and the Louvre make the list of most mispronounced words of 2025 JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press Business A look at the Thanksgiving shopping weekend and what's next ANNE D'INNOCENZIO Associated Press 0 comments Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. 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