It’s time for the 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards!
Wake Living’s most popular feature, the awards that generate lots of buzz and thousands of votes each year.
New to the Readers’ Choice Awards? No worries, we’ve put together this FAQ just for you!
What exactly are the Readers’ Choice Awards?
Exactly what they sound like: a listing of the top businesses and organizations selected entirely by reader votes. The Readers’ Choice Award winners will be published in the January/February 2025 issue of Wake Living.
How are the winners chosen?
The voting process takes place via an online ballot. The voting period will begin on Wednesday, October 2, and be open until 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 31, 2024. We ask readers to name their favorite people and places in dozens of categories, which may change year by year. Those receiving the most votes in each category become the winners.
May I vote more than once?
While we appreciate the enthusiasm and support of your favorite local business, unfortunately you may only vote once. Final votes are tallied based on one ballot per valid email address.
Do I have to vote in every category?
Nope! You’re welcome to vote for as many or as few as you like.
How can I suggest a category for next year’s ballot?
We revise the ballot every year to reflect the community support for each category. If you have a suggestion for the 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, please shoot us an email at editor@wakeliving.com.
Are advertisers given precedence?
No. Winners are determined solely by reader votes.
But several winners are advertisers in the magazine.
True, some frequent advertisers are also Readers’ Choice Award winners. Many businesses also choose to run “thank you” advertisements to show appreciation for our readers’ support.
Are local businesses given preference?
Yes! We recognize that local establishments likely don’t have the widespread recognition of national chains, so in order to honor those local-first requests, we ask readers to place their votes for locally owned restaurants, shops, and service providers.
Why are there still some national chains?
The ballot does include locally owned franchises of national brands. We also include national brands that are based in North Carolina.
I disagree with one of the winners. I had a bad experience!
No business is perfect. Even the best are bound to have off days. Consider giving the winners another chance to redeem themselves.
I missed the voting process this year. How can I find out about it for future years?
Subscribe to our email newsletter and follow Wake Living on social media so you won’t miss our announcements regarding the voting timetable.
