Welcome back to the Bubbas: Key West People’s Choice Awards, now in its 13th year of recognizing the best of our community for the good of our community.
Since its inception, more than 1,200 winners have been crowned in nearly 100 categories, and nearly $200,000 has been raised for local nonprofits.
This year’s nonprofit recipient is Keys AHEC, which provides access to no-cost medical and low-cost dental care for the school-age children of the Florida Keys, no matter their financial circumstances.
“When Jason (Koler) and I started this in 2013, we honestly had no idea the Bubbas would become such a recognized part of Key West culture,” said Key West Weekly owner Britt Myers. “But we wanted to do something that celebrated the community, while helping local causes we support. Here we are, more than a decade later, and one of my favorite stages of the Bubbas is still the anticipation leading up to the voting and our winners’ gala.”
As the nomination process begins on Thursday, June 4, at keysweekly.com, we want to remind our voters about the process and timelines.
Most importantly, we remind everyone to have fun with the contest. After all, winners are subjective. But the experiences and bonds of a community are enduring.
HOW THE BUBBAS WORK: YOU PICK THE NOMINEES
Nominate your favorites: FromThursday, June 4 (starting at noon) to June 21 (at midnight) at keysweekly.com.
Visit keysweekly.com once a day starting at noon on Thursday, June 4 to nominate your favorite people and businesses in each category. Voters can vote once per day in all categories. So visit often, or daily, throughout the nomination process — June 4-21 — 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 Bubbas process.
Vote for the winning finalists: June 25 (noon) to July 12 (midnight).
The top 3 nominees in each category make the finalists’ ballot. Voters will choose from the top 3 nominees in each category to decide the winner of that category’s Bubba Award.
Voting for the finalists in each category begins at noon on June 25 at keysweekly.com and ends at midnight on July 12. 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. Visit keysweekly.com often throughout the process and submit one ballot a day.
The final event: Awards show July 25 at Key West Theater
The 13th annual Bubbas: Key West People’s Choice Awards Gala takes place Saturday, July 25 at the Key West Theater. The show 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.
Huge thanks to our sponsors for the 2026 Bubbas: Key West People’s Choice Awards:
Catered Affairs of Key West, Key West Theater, George L. Fernandez, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory, Hemingway Home, First State Bank, Waste Management, Fausto’s, Edward Jones, Key West Treasure Chest, Bascom Grooms Real Estate, Doc Guzman Family Dentistry, Overseas Media Group (OMG).
