A celebration of the community’s best from Key Largo to Islamorada will be on display during the fifth annual Best of Upper Keys.
Nominations in more than 80 categories open when the clock strikes noon on Thursday, Sept. 17. People can visit keysweekly.com once a day to write in their favorites in the business, food and drink and community arenas.
The Best of Upper Keys is similar to the Key West People’s Choice Awards in the Bubbas, which began in 2014, and the Best of Marathon, which started in 2008. Voters will have the chance to vote for all their favorite people, places, foods and things that encapsulate the Upper Keys. Whether it’s local celebrities, favorite neighborhoods or musicians, the people will name the very best in this year’s Best of Upper Keys.
Not only does the Best of Upper Keys bring bragging rights during an unforgettable awards night, but it also raises funds for a worthy cause in the Florida Keys Children’s Shelter.
“One of the things that makes this event so meaningful is that it supports organizations doing incredible work right here in our own backyard,” said Keys Weekly publisher Jason Koler. “Beyond that, the Best of Upper Keys has always been about bringing the community together.
“Every year we’re amazed by the number of people who take part in the voting, not just here in the Keys but from around the world. Last year we saw votes come in from five continents and more than a dozen countries. Then the awards gala gives everyone a chance to come together in one room, celebrate the people and businesses that make the Upper Keys special, and simply enjoy each other’s company. It’s a night that reminds you how connected this community really is, and every dollar raised goes back to the Florida Keys Children’s Shelter to support an organization that makes a lasting difference.”
Nominate your favorites: Sept. 17 to Oct. 4
Log in to keysweekly.com starting on Thursday, Sept. 17 at noon until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4 to nominate your favorites in each category. Voters can vote once per day for all categories, and must fill out 75% of each ballot. Visit daily throughout the nomination process to propose your favorite finalists.
The top three nominees in each category are placed on the finalists’ ballot. Contrary to the annual rumor, we do not create the top three. You, the voters, decide the top three finalists from among your nominees, every year. Nominations will end at 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 4, so make sure your voice is heard before then.
Vote for the finalists: Oct. 15 to Nov. 1
The top three nominees in each category make the final ballot. The highest vote-getter among the three finalists in each category receives the highly-coveted Best of Upper Keys plaque.
Voting for the finalists in each category begins at noon on Oct. 15 at keysweekly.com and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 1. During this stage, voters can submit one ballot per day and must fill out 75% of the categories to do so. So visit keysweekly.com often throughout the process and submit one ballot a day.
The awards: Friday, Nov. 13
The fifth annual Best of Upper Keys awards celebration is Friday, Nov. 13 at Playa Largo Resort. Tickets are not generally made available to the public due to demand. Winners, nominees and dignitaries are invited to attend and additional attendees are selected from a first-come, first-served waiting list. To be placed on this list, please email manuela@keysweekly.com.
