As this paper hits driveways across Marathon, nominations are officially open for the 2025 Best of Marathon Awards.
One of the town’s marquee events, BOM celebrates its Sweet Sixteen birthday this year, and the Keys Weekly team is so ready to celebrate the businesses, individuals and places that go above and beyond to make Marathon the beating heart of the Florida Keys.
Beyond that, the Best of Marathon is, at its core, a charity event. As in years past, money raised will go directly to support the Rotary Club of Marathon, a network of neighbors, friends and business leaders whose mission is to provide humanitarian service both at home and abroad while building goodwill and peace around the world.
“For more than sixty years the Rotary Club of Marathon has been a positive force in our community,” said Keys Weekly publisher Jason Koler. “The club supports countless organizations and needs, so this is just a natural fit.”
As we do every year, we took a close look at the ballot to make sure we have a solid array of competitive categories.
In our Business category, we’ll turn up the competition with a new Best Salon category, open to all the businesses that make Marathon’s guys and gals look their best. A new Best Gifts and Threads category will spotlight local retailers with souvenirs, clothing – anything perfect for a shopping spree or those holiday lists.
And if you’re one of those people who will never stop posting photos of your cat, dog or gerbil on social media – you know who you are – make sure they’re the star of the show in our Best Pet Celebrity category.
HOW IT WORKS: THE AWARDS ARE IN YOUR HANDS
Nominate your favorites: July 24 (noon) to August 10 (midnight) at keysweekly.com
To nominate your favorites, visit keysweekly.com once a day from Thursday, July 24 at noon until Sunday, Aug. 10 at midnight. Voters can vote once per day for all categories, and must fill out 75% of each ballot to cast a valid submission. So visit often, or daily, throughout the nomination process to propose your favorite finalists.
The top three nominees in each category are placed on the finalists’ ballot. We do not choose the top three (a commonly asked question). You, the voters, decide the top three finalists from among your nominees, every year. Updates and reminders will be provided by the Keys Weekly in print, digital and social media throughout the Best of Marathon process.
Vote for the winning finalists: August 21 (noon) to September 7 (midnight).
The top three finalists in each category make the finalists’ ballot, plain and simple. Voters will choose from the finalists in each category to decide the winner of that category’s Best of Marathon. Voting for the finalists in each category begins at noon on Aug. 21 at keysweekly.com and ends at midnight on September 7. During this stage, voters can submit one online ballot per day. There is no charge to participate, and only your email address is needed to nominate and vote.
The final event: awards show September 20 at Hawks Cay Resort
The 16th annual Best of Marathon Awards Gala takes place September 20 at the picturesque Hawks Cay Resort and has evolved into one of the most anticipated events in town. Tickets are limited and generally are not made available to the public due to demand. Winners, nominees and dignitaries are invited and additional attendees are selected from a first-come, first-served waiting list.
