Most people who have worked with me know I have complained a lot of over the years about Best Of issues, industry slang for the sort of readers’ poll we just completed.

Obviously, I have since come around. When executed properly, reader polls can highlight businesses and people that our reporters and sales staff have, for whatever reason, missed. It can be incredibly useful, especially for tourists or new residents in town. And it gives us a very important gauge on the things our readers love, and we’re always trying to get a better handle on our readers.

This is our very first Best of the Beat, and in the making of it we addressed some of the biggest problems I’ve had with the form and corrected a few of our own mistakes along the way.

For one, our vote is honest. This was not one of those deals where people can vote every hour, stuffing the ballot box with spam votes, often from people who don’t even live here. In our contest, each reader gets exactly one ballot, making the results more useful and trustworthy.

It has also been my experience that in Triad-wide contests of this nature, Greensboro tends to dominate the results while Winston-Salem gets marginalized. So we’ve broken our contest into two tiers with our first dedicated solely to Forsyth County and the Camel City. We’ll run a Guilford poll in early 2021, and the winners will face off in the Best of the Beat — Triad-Wide contest later in the year.

But for now let’s celebrate the winners, hundreds of them, recognized for their excellence in its many different forms throughout Forsyth County. Congratulations to all.

— Brian Clarey

DRINKING

Over It Drinking GIF by Saturday Night Live

Best Bottled Beer Selection

  • First Place: Stella Brew
  • Runner-up: City Beverage

Best Downtown Bar

Best Local Brewery Taproom

  • First Place: Foothills Brewpub/ Wise Man Brewing (tie)

Best Bar Staff

  • First Place: Hoots Roller Bar
  • Runner-up: The Tasting Room/ Fiddlin’ Fish Brewing Co.

Best College Bar

  • First Place: Finnegan’s Wake
  • Runner-up: West End Opera House

Best Adult Establishment

  • First Place: Savannah’s Gentlemen’s Club/Paper Moon (tie)

Best Cocktail Mixer

Best Upscale Bar

Best Cocktails

  • First Place: Fair Witness/Single Brothers Saloon (tie)

Best Bartender

  • First Place: James Douglas (Hoot’s, Silver Moon) (read our review here!)
  • Runner-up: Danielle Bull (Bull’s Tavern)

Best Bouncers

Best Cheap Beer

(courtesy photo)

Best Wine Selection

  • First Place: 6th and Vine
  • Runner-up: The Tasting Room

Best Bloody Mary

Best Mocktails

Best Tap Beer Selection

  • First Place: Finnegan’s Wake
  • Runner-up: Foothill’s Tasting Room

Best Neighborhood Bar

Best Sports Bar

  • First Place: Finnegan’s Wake
  • Runner-up: Second & Green

Best Distillery

  • First Place: Broad Branch Distillery
  • Runner-up: Sutler’s Spirits

Best Martini

Best Local Spirit

  • First Place: Sutler’s Gin
  • Runner-up: Spirit Nobilium (Broad Branch)

Best Drink Specials

  • First Place: Finnegan’s Wake
  • Runner-up: Bull’s Tavern/Fair Witness (tie)

Best Dance Space

  • First Place: Gas Hill Drinking Room
  • Runner-up: Monstercade

Best Local Brewery

  • First Place: Foothills Brewing
  • Runner-up: Wise Man Brewing

Best Sommelier

  • First Place: Christina Morris (The Katharine) (read our review here!)
  • Runner-up: Caleb Flynt (Wine Merchants)

Best Pet-Friendly Bar/Restaurant

  • First Place: Fiddlin’ Fish Brewing Co.
  • Runner-up: Wise Man Brewing

Best Late-Night Bar

Best Margarita

  • First Place: The Porch Kitchen & Cantina
  • Runner-up: La Botana

Best No-Frills Watering Hole

  • First Place: Silver Moon Saloon (read our review here!)
  • Runner-up: Bull’s Tavern/ Carlisle’s Pub (tie)

Best Retail Beer Selection

  • First Place: Stella Brew
  • Runner-up: City Beverage

Best Retail Wine Selection

  • First Place: Total Wine & More
  • Runner-up: Wine Merchants

Best Rooftop Bar

  • First Place: Bar Piña
  • Runner-up: Top of 4th (Marriott)

Best New Bar

  • First Place: Hoot’s Satellite
  • Runner-up: Joyner’s

EATING

Best Brunch

  • First Place: River Birch Lodge
  • Runner-up: Krankies

Best Steak

  • First Place: Ryan’s Restaurant
  • Runner-up: Fratelli’s Italian Steakhouse

Best Desserts

  • First Place: Midtown Café & Dessertery
  • Runner-up: Cheesecakes by Alex

Best Late-Night Menu

  • First Place: Finnegan’s Wake
  • Runner-up: Foothill’s Brewpub

Best Caterer

  • First Place: 1703 Restaurant & Kitchen
  • Runner-up: Providence Kitchen/ Five Loaves Catering (tie)

Best Restaurant

  • First Place: Mozelle’s Fresh Southern Bistro
  • Runner-up: River Birch Lodge

Best Outdoor Seating

  • First Place: 4th St. Filling Station
  • Runner-up: 6th and Vine

Best Waitstaff

  • First Place: West End Café
  • Runner-up: Mozelle’s Fresh Southern Bistro

Best Mexican Restaurant

  • First Place: The Porch Kitchen & Cantina
  • Runner-up: La Botana

Best Downtown Restaurant

  • First Place: Sweet Potatoes
  • Runner-up: Mission Pizza Napoletana/ Mozelle’s Fresh Southern Bistro

Best Romantic Restaurant

Best Gelato

  • First Place: Café Gelato
  • Runner-up: West End Coffeehouse

Best Chef

  • First Place: Jay Pierce (Mozelle’s)
  • Runner-up: Curtis Hackaday (1703)

Best Boba Tea

  • First Place: May Way Dumplings
  • Runner-up: Café Gelato

Best Fried Chicken

  • First Place: Slappy’s Chicken
  • Runner-up: Miss Ora’s Fried Chicken

Best French Fries

  • First Place: Hops Burger Bar
  • Runner-up: Cook Out

Best Bread

  • First Place: Camino Bakery
  • Runner-up: Bobby Boy Bake Shop

Best Gourmet Sandwiches

  • First Place: West End Café
  • Runner-up: Foothills Brewpub/ Mozelle’s Fresh Southern Bistro (tie)

Best Cheesesteak

  • First Place: Hero House
  • Runner-up: Burke Street Pizza

Best Charcuterie

  • First Place: Vintage Sofa Bar
  • Runner-up: The Carving Board

Best Healthy Eating

village juice smoothie bowl
Village Juice has trendy smoothie bowls and tasty salads.

Best Ribs

  • First Place: Bib’s Downtown
  • Runner-up: Real Q

Best Breakfast

  • First Place: Krankies
  • Runner-up: Famous Toastery

Best Local Artisinal Food Product

Best Sub

  • First Place: TJs Deli & Grill
  • Runner-up: Burke Street Pizza

Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant

  • First Place: Camel City BBQ Factory
  • Runner-up: Dairi-O

Best Italian restaurant

  • First Place: Di Lisio’s Italian Restaurant
  • Runner-up: Quanto Basta

Best Coffeeshop

  • First Place: Moji Coffee + More
  • Runner-up: Camino Bakery

Best Tacos

  • First Place: Crafted the Art of the Taco
  • Runner-up: La Botana

Best Chicken Fingers

  • First Place: Miss Ora’s
  • Runner-up: Foothills Brewpub

Best Salads

  • First Place: West End Café
  • Runner-up: Yamas Mediterranean Street Food

Best Sushi

  • First Place: Mizu Japanese Restaurant
  • Runner-up: Hakka Chow Asian Eats

Best Restaurant when Someone Else is Paying

  • First Place: Spring House Grill
  • Runner-up: Fratelli’s Italian Steakhouse

Best Indian Restaurant

  • First Place: Nawab Indian Cuisine
  • Runner-up: Mystic Ginger

Best Wings

  • First Place: Ronni’s Restaurant
  • Runner-up: Finnegan’s Wake

Best Barbecue

  • First Place: Little Richard’s
  • Runner-up: Real Q

Best Bakery

  • First Place: Camino Bakery
  • Runner-up: Bobby Boy Bakeshop

Best Ramen

  • First Place: 237 Ramen
  • Runner-up: Sakura

Best Atmosphere

  • First Place: Mozelle’s Fresh Southern Bistro
  • Runner-up: The Katharine Brasserie & Bar/ Earl’s Whiskey Bar (read our review here!)

Best Cheap Meal

  • First Place: Slappy’s Chicken
  • Runner-up: Cook Out

Best Food Truck

  • First Place: Mojito
  • Runner-up: Burger Supreme

Best Milkshake

  • First Place: Cook Out
  • Runner-up: Small Batch

Best Gourmet Pizza

  • First Place: Mission Pizza Napoletano
  • Runner-up: Elizabeth’s Pizza

Best Pho

  • First Place: Thai Sawatdee
  • Runner-up: Basil Leaf

Best Takeout

  • First Place: Slappy’s Chicken
  • Runner-up: Mr. Lu’s

Best Diner

  • First Place: Famous Toastery
  • Runner-up: Trade Street Diner

Best Oysters

  • First Place: Full Moon Oyster Bar
  • Runner-up: King’s Crab Shack

Best Tapas

  • First Place: Yamas Mediterranean Street Food
  • Runner-up: Spring House Grill

Best Bagels

(courtesy photo)

Best Thai Restaurant

  • First Place: Thai Sawatdee
  • Runner-up: Basil Leaf

Best Poke

  • First Place: West End Poke
  • Runner-up: Poke Star

Best Ice Cream

  • First Place: Mayberry Ice Cream Restaurant
  • Runner-up: Li’l Dipper

Best Hot Dogs

  • First Place: PB’s Takeout
  • Runner-up: Kermit’s Hot Dog House

Best Burger

  • First Place: Hops Burger Bar
  • Runner-up: Cin Cin Burger Bar

Best Public Bathroom

Nikki in the Harris Teeter bathroom on Cloverdale. (photo by Nikki Miller-Ka)

Best Deli

  • First Place: TJ’s Deli
  • Runner-up: The Carving Board

Best Meat & Three

  • First Place: Duke’s Restaurant
  • Runner-up: Clemmons Kitchen

Best Traditional Pizza

  • First Place: Burke Street Pizza
  • Runner-up: Elizabeth’s PIzza

Best New Restaurant

  • First Place: Bobby Boy Bake Shop
  • Runner-up: Hops Burger Bar

Best Mac & Cheese

  • First Place: Slappy’s Chicken
  • Runner-up: Sweet Potatoes

Best Seafood

Owner Virginia Hardesty behind the counter at Forsyth Seafood Market (courtesy photo)

Best Doughnut Shop

  • First Place: Dough Joe’s Doughnuts & Coffee
  • Runner-up: InTown Donutz

Best Sweet Tea

  • First Place: The Carriage House Restaurant
  • Runner-up: Yamas Mediterranean Street Food

Best Japanese Restaurant

  • First Place: Mizu Japanese Restaurant
  • Runner-up: Umi Japanese Steakhouse

Best Asian Fusion

  • First Place: Hakka Chow
  • Runner-up: Thai Sawatdee

Best Greek Restaurant

  • First Place: Grecian Corner
  • Runner-up: Athena Greek Taverna

Best Juice/Smoothie Bar

  • First Place: Village Juice Co.
  • Runner-up: Organix Juice Bar

Best Restaurants for Vegans

  • First Place: Mozzarella Fellas
  • Runner-up: Village Juice Co.

Best Chinese Restaurant

  • First Place: New Sichuan
  • Runner-up: Mr. Lu’s

RECREATION, HEALTH & BEAUTY

GIF by Robert E Blackmon

Best Hotel

Katharine-bar
Truly a clean, well-lighted place, the bar at the Katherine provides a vintage, art-deco experience. (photo by Spencer Brown)

Best Assisted Living Community

  • First Place: Brookdale
  • Runner-up: Vienna Village/ Heritage Woods (tie)

Best Med Spa

  • First Place: Innovative Aesthetics
  • Runner-up:  The Spa at Highland Oaks

Best Dermatologist

  • First Place: Westgate Dermatology & Laser Center/ Winston-Salem Dermatology Center (tie)

Best Personal Trainer

  • First Place: Patti Manuel (PBM Fitness)
  • Runner-up: Sebastian Cervar (CrossFit Amplitude)

Best Golf Course

  • First Place: Winston Lake Golf Course
  • Runner-up: Maple Chase Golf & Country Club

Best Hair Salon

  • First Place: Van Davis Aveda
  • Runner-up: Dye Pretty

Best Local Athlete

  • First Place: Chris Paul (Oklahoma City Thunder)
  • Runner-up: Domenique Graves (Winston-Salem State football)/ Sam Hartman (Wake Forest football)

Best Piercing Studio

  • First Place: Earth’s Edge
  • Runner-up: Tattoo Revival

Best Esthetician

  • First Place: Nancy Crooks (Van Davis Thruway)
  • Runner-up: April Joyce (J Posh Salon)

Best Pool

  • First Place: Bolton Park Pool
  • Runner-up: Chadwyck Windsor Place Pool

Best Gym

  • First Place: CrossFit Winston-Salem
  • Runner-up: Top Tier Fitness

Best In-Home Healthcare Company

  • First Place: Griswold Home Care
  • Runner-up: Touched by Angels/Bayada Home Health (tie)

Best Walking/Running Trail

Salem Lake Park

Best Yoga Studio

  • First Place: Sunrise Yoga
  • Runner-up: Triad Yoga Alliance

Best Yoga Instructor

  • First Place: Valerie Kiser (Sunrise Yoga)
  • Runner-up: Tressa Krezner (Loving Kindness Reiki & Yoga)

Best Acupuncturist

  • First Place: Lee Figl (New Hope Oriental Medicine)
  • Runner-up: Boyd Bailey (Piedmont Acupuncture)

Best Pharmacy

  • First Place: Marley Drug
  • Runner-up: Robinhood Pharmacy

Best Tattoo Artist

  • First Place: Mallory Blaylock (Talon Tattoo)
  • Runner-up: Tugboat Johnny (Tattoo Archive) (read our review here!)

Best Exercise Studio

  • First Place: Pure Barre
  • Runner-up: CycleBar

Best Weight-Loss Center

  • First Place: Medical Weight Loss Winston-Salem
  • Runner-up: Wellness for Life

Best Barbershop

  • First Place: Ardmore Barber Shop
  • Runner-up: Clubhouse Salon for Men

Best Local Sports team

  • First Place: Winston-Salem Dash
  • Runner-up: Wake Forest Football

Best Eye Doctor

  • First Place: Eyes on Trade
  • Runner-up: Andrew Bradbury (A Proper View)

Best Bike Shop

  • First Place: Ken’s Bike Shop
  • Runner-up: Mock Orange Bikes

Best Tattoo Studio

CW “Chuck” Eldridge poses in front of Tattoo Archive’s newest exhibit on Japanese tattooing.

Best Chiropractor

  • First Place: Brittain Chiropractic Center
  • Runner-up: Twin City Health

Best Dentist

  • First Place: Dr. Yen Nguyen
  • Runner-up: Reynolda Smiles

Best Nail Salon

  • First Place: Digits Thruway
  • Runner-up: LA Nails

Best Day Spa

  • First Place: The Spa at Highland Oaks
  • Runner-up:  Essential Balanced Bodywork

Best Bowling Alley

  • First Place: AMF Major League Lanes
  • Runner-up: Creekside Lanes

Best Hospital

  • First Place: Forsyth Medical Center
  • Runner-up: Wake Baptist Hospital

Best Orthodontics

  • First Place: Salem Smiles Orthodontics
  • Runner-up: Handy and Handy

Best Hair Stylist

  • First Place: Mia (Jade Aveda Salon)
  • Runner-up: Cynthia Pratt-Miller (Hair Bomb Salon)

Best Park

Best Veterinarian

  • First Place: Ard-Vista Animal Hospital
  • Runner-up: Carolina Veterinary Specialists/ Mt Tabor Animal Hospital (tie)

Best Massage Therapist

  • First Place: Randi Eaton
  • Runner-up: Michael Roels (Essential Balanced Bodywork)

Best Plastic Surgery Practice

  • First Place: Salem Plastic Surgery
  • Runner-up: Forsyth Plastic Surgery

Best Retirement Community

  • First Place: Arbor Acres
  • Runner-up: Vienna Village

ATTRACTIONS & CITY LIVING

park background GIF by GIPHY Studios Originals

Best Place of Worship

  • First Place: Green Street Methodist Church
  • Runner-up: Temple Emanuel

Best Apartment Complex

  • First Place: Winston Factory Lofts
  • Runner-up: Link Apartments Brookstown

Best Vacation Rental

  • First Place: Wherehouse Art Hotel
  • Runner-up: Log Cabin in the City

Best Place to People-Watch

  • First Place: Fourth Street
  • Runner-up: Trade Street

Best Neighborhood

  • First Place: Ardmore
  • Runner-up: West End

Best Attraction

Best Farmers Market

Best Place for Trick-Or-Treating

  • First Place: Ardmore
  • Runner-up: West End

Best Fundraising Event

  • First Place: Empty Bowls
  • Runner-up: Humane Society Furr Ball

Best Downtown Building

  • First Place: Kimpton Cardinal Hotel (Reynolds Building) (read our review here!)
  • Runner-up: Millennium Center

Best Daycare

  • First Place: La Petite Academy
  • Runner-up: Bright Horizons

Best Green Business

  • First Place: Camino Bakery
  • Runner-up: Village Juice Co.

Best College/University

  • First Place: Wake Forest University
  • Runner-up: Winston-Salem State University

Best Public School

  • First Place: Reynolds High School/ Mt. Tabor High School (tie)

Best Pre-School

  • First Place: Reynolda Preschool
  • Runner-up: YMCA

Best Reason to Stay in Winston-Salem

  • First Place: Great community
  • Runner-up: It’s cheap-ish

Best Reason to Leave Winston-Salem

  • First Place: Zombie apocalypse
  • Runner-up: Lack of good jobs

Best Public Library

  • First Place: Forsyth Central Library
  • Runner-up: Reynolda Manor Library

Best Public Space

  • First Place: Reynolda Village & Gardens
  • Runner-up: Old Quarry Park/Bailey Park (tie)

Best Festival

Best Place to Work

  • First Place: Wake Forest University
  • Runner-up: Flywheel Co-Working

SHOPPING

dreams worth more than money shopping GIF

Best Record Store

  • First Place: Underdog records
  • Runner-up: McKay’s

Best Resale Shop

  • First Place: Design Archives
  • Runner-up: Etc. Consignment Shoppe

Beat Health Food Store

  • First Place: A&S Natural Health
  • Runner-up: OM Indian Groceries/ Salem Organic Supple (tie) (read our review here!)

Best International Grocery Store

(courtesy photo)

Best Eyewear Boutique

  • First Place: A Proper View
  • Runner-up: Eyes on Trade

Best ABC Store

  • First Place: Country Club Road
  • Runner-up: Northwest Boulevard

Best Gift Store

  • First Place: Design Archives
  • Runner-up: Salem Kitchen

Best Children’s Clothing Retailer

  • First Place: Once Upon a Child
  • Runner-up: McCalls Reynolda Village

Best Pawn Shop

  • First Place: Camel City Pawn
  • Runner-up: West Mountain Pawn

Best Men’s Clothing Store

  • First Place: Jos. A Banks
  • Runner-up: Norman Stockton’s

Best Motorcycle Shop

  • First Place: Smokin’ Harley Davidson
  • Runner-up: Kevin Powell Motorsports

Best Musical Instrument Store

  • First Place: The B String
  • Runner-up: Jackson’s Music Store

Best Pet Store

  • First Place: All Pets Considered
  • Runner-up: Natural Dog

Best Furniture Store

  • First Place: Haverty’s Furniture
  • Runner-up: Bowen Town & Country

Best Jewelry Store

  • First Place: Schiffman’s Jewelers
  • Runner-up: Camel City Pawn

Best Boutique

  • First Place: Monkee’s
  • Runner-up: Wood & Thread

Best Cigar Store

  • First Place: Top Leaf Cigar Lounge
  • Runner-up: The Pipe & Pint

Best Comic Book Shop

  • First Place: Burke Street Comics
  • Runner-up: Ssalefish Comics

Best Florist

  • First Place: Wild Things
  • Runner-up: Dahlia’s Floral Design

Best Garden Store/Nursery

  • First Place: House of Plants
  • Runner-up: Reynolda Nursery

Best Mall/Shopping Center

  • First Place: Thruway Center
  • Runner-up: Hanes Mall

Best Home Accessories Store

  • First Place: Design Archives
  • Runner-up: All Through the House

Best Women’s Clothing Store

  • First Place: Fabulous Finds/Kernersville
  • Runner-up: Boho Blue

Best Consignment Furniture Store

  • First Place: Elizabeth’s at Hanes Park
  • Runner-up: Carolina Vintiques

Best Shopping District

  • First Place: West End
  • Runner-up: Burke Street

Best Grocery Store

  • First Place: Trader Joe’s
  • Runner-up: Lowe’s Foods (Robinhood Road)

Best Consignment Store

  • First Place: Snob Shop
  • Runner-up: Design Archives

Best Tire Store

  • First Place: Mock Tire
  • Runner-up: Parrish Tire & Automotive

Best Place to Buy a New Car

  • First Place: Flow Honda
  • Runner-up: Mercedes Benz of Winston-Salem/ Audi of Winston-Salem (tie)

Best Kitchen Store

  • First Place: Southern Home & Kitchen
  • Runner-up: Williams Sonoma

Best Antique Store

  • First Place: Lost in Time
  • Runner-up: Goat Feather Antique

Best Hardware Store

  • First Place: ACE Hardware (Cloverdale Avenue)
  • Runner-up: ACE Hardware (Robinhood Road)

Best Vintage Clothing Store

  • First Place: Design Archives
  • Runner-up: Next Step Ministries Thrift Store

Best Bookstore

Close to 100 supporters gathered at Bookmarks on Friday to hear Watts speak at a Moms Demand Action event in 2019.

Best Thrift Store

  • First Place: Next Step Ministries Thrift Store
  • Runner-up: The Snob Shop

Best Corner Store

  • First Place: Washington Perk & Provisions
  • Runner-up: Tickled Pink

Best Baby Store

  • First Place: Once Upon a Child
  • Runner-up: Rolly’s Baby Boutique

Best Shoe Store

  • First Place: Fleet Feet
  • Runner-up: Be Shoes Thruway

Best Adult Toy Store

  • First Place: Priscilla McCall’s
  • Runner-up: Annabelle’s

Best Butcher

Smoke City Meats (photo by Carolyn de Berry(
  • First Place: Smoke City Meats (read our past coverage here)
  • Runner-up: Butcher Shop of Winston-Salem/ Ogburn Station Meat Market (tie)

Best Lingerie Store

  • First Place: Annabelle’s
  • Runner-up: Priscilla McCall’s

Best Frame Shop

  • First Place: Frame It
  • Runner-up: Fourth Street Frame Shop

Best Local Farm

  • First Place: Joyce Farms
  • Runner-up: Shore Farm Organics

Best Place to Buy a Used Car

  • First Place: Flow Automotive
  • Runner-up: Frank Myers Auto Maxx

Best Bridal Shop

  • First Place: English’s Bridal
  • Runner-up: Nitsa’s Apparel

Best Gourmet Grocery Store

  • First Place: Om Indian Grocery (read our review here!)
  • Runner-up: Canteen Market & Bistro/ Swaim’s Grocery (tie)

Best CBD Shop

camel-city-hemp-cbd-winston-salem
(photo by Sayaka Matsuoka)

Best Wine Shop

  • First Place: Total Wine & More
  • Runner-up: Wine Merchant

Best Lighting Store

  • First Place: Wilson Lighting Co.
  • Runner-up: The Lighting Loft

Best Used Bookstore

  • First Place: McKay’s
  • Runner-up: The Eclectible Shop

POLITICS, NEWS & THE MEDIA

Meme Read GIF

Best Local TV Station

  • First Place: WXII
  • Runner-up: Fox 8

Best Do-Gooder

  • First Place: Project Mask WS
  • Runner-up: Mary Haglund

Best Talk/News Radio Station

  • First Place: WFDD
  • Runner-up: WTOB

Most Egregious Misuse of Taxpayer Funds

  • First Place: School vouchers
  • Runner-up: Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Best City Council Member

  • First Place: DD Adams
  • Runner-up: Jeff McIntosh

Best Local radio Personality

  • First Place: Neal Charnoff (WFDD)
  • Runner-up: Steve “The Finman” Finnegan (WTOB)

Best School Board Member

  • First Place: Elisabeth Motsinger
  • Runner-up: Barbara Burke

Best Local News Website

  • First Place: Triad City Beat (triad-city-beat.com)
  • Runner-up: The Winston-Salem Journal (journalnow.com)

Worst political gaffe

  • First Place: Lack of reallocation of police funds
  • Runner-up: Dixie Classic Fair renamed

Best Progressive

  • First Place: Dan Besse
  • Runner-up: Rep. Derwin Montgomery

Best Local Radio Show

  • First Place: “The Martha Bassett Show” (WFDD)
  • Runner-up: “The Get Up Show” (98.7 Simon)

Best Radio Station

  • First Place: WFDD
  • Runner-up: WTOB

Best Investigative Reporter

  • First Place: Jordan Green (Triad City Beat)
  • Runner-up: Scott Sexton (the Journal)

Best Cause

Best Local Facebook Group

  • First Place: Downtown Winston-Salem
  • Runner-up: Just WS Memes

Best County Commissioner

  • First Place: Fleming El-Amin
  • Runner-up: Dave Plyler

Best Local TV Anchor

  • First Place: Brianna Conner (WXII)
  • Runner-up: Margaret Johnson (WXII)

Biggest Controversy

  • First Place: Dixie Fair vs Carolina Classic
  • Runner-up: Closing the bars for coronavirus

Best Meteorologist

  • First Place: Lanie Pope (WXII)
  • Runner-up: Michelle Kennedy (WXII)

Best Legislator

  • First Place: Rep. Derwin Montgomery
  • Runner-up: Rep. Evelyn Terry

Best Local Twitter Feed

  • First Place: Winston Watchman (@WinstonWatchman)
  • Runner-up: Triad City Beat (@triad_city_beat_)

Best Local Blog

  • First Place: Nik Snacks (niksnacksonline.com)
  • Runner-up: Triad Foodies (triadfoodies.com)

Best Triad City Beat Story

  • First Place: Confederate Statue reporting
  • Runner-up: Omnibus Firefighters

Best Conservative

  • First Place: Joyce Kraweic
  • Runner-up: Algenon Cash

CULTURE, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Best Comedian

  • First Place: Randy Simpson (WTOB)
  • Runner-up: Cabell Wilkinson

Best Museum

Best House/Cover Band

  • First Place: Gypsy Soul
  • Runner-up: The Plaids

Best Drag Show

  • First Place: Pride WS
  • Runner-up: Monstercade

Best Visual Artist

  • First Place: Adam Casey
  • Runner-up: Owens Daniels

Best Art Instruction

  • First Place: Sawtooth School for Visual Art
  • Runner-up: UNCSA community programs

Best Club DJ

  • First Place: DJ Hek Yeah
  • Runner-up: DJ Snow

Best Place to See Live Music

  • First Place: The Ramkat
  • Runner-up: Rizzo’s

Best Art Gallery

Best Local Author

  • First Place: Jacinta White
  • Runner-up: Wade Beauchamp

Best Karaoke Night

  • First Place: Bull’s Tavern
  • Runner-up: Old Nick’s Pub

Best Local Hip Hop Artist

LB the poet (photo by E’laina “Ely B” Barron)

Best Jazz Band

  • First Place: Matt Kendrick Trio
  • Runner-up: Camel City Jazz Orchestra

Best Local Podcast

  • First Place: The Less Desirables
  • Runner-up: Carolina Curious (WFDD)

Best Party

  • First Place: Farmstock
  • Runner-up: RiverRun Gala

Best Female Vocalist

  • First Place: Renee Henry
  • Runner-up: Karon Click

Best Cultural Event

  • First Place: Black Theatre Festival
  • Runner-up: RiverRun International Film Festival

Best Recording Studio

  • First Place: Fidelitorium
  • Runner-up: Flytrap Music Productions

Best Art Exhibit

“Lines” is the Winston-Salem Light Project’s 11th installation and is located at the corner of Waughtown and Main in Winston-Salem. (photo by Sayaka Matsuoka)
  • First Place: Winston-Salem Light Project (read our review here!)
  • Runner-up: Video Ergo Sum — Peter Campus (SECCA)

Best Musician

  • First Place: Doug Davis
  • Runner-up: Jim Moody

Best Local, Original Band

  • First Place: Jukebox Rehab
  • Runner-up: Vel Indica

Best Local Actor

  • First Place: Ashley Hauser
  • Runner-up: Michael Hoch

Best Trivia Night

  • First Place: Old Nick’s Pub
  • Runner-up: Bookmarks Book Trivia

Best Music Club

  • First Place: The Ramkat
  • Runner-up: Muddy Creek Café

Best Local Theatre Company

  • First Place: Winston-Salem Theater Alliance
  • Runner-up: UNCSA

Best Make Vocalist

  • First Place: Dale Cole
  • Runner-up: Clay Howard

Best Sporting Event

  • First Place: Winston-Salem Dash games
  • Runner-up: Wake Forest Football games

Best Movie Theater

Best Public Art Piece

  • First Place: Black Lives Matter street painting
  • Runner-up: Trade Street Mannequins

SERVICES

Best Realty Company

  • First Place: Leonard Ryden Burr
  • Runner-up: Berkshire Hathaway/ Allen Tate (tie)

Best Financial Institution

  • First Place: Allegacy Credit Union
  • Runner-up: Pinnacle Bank

Best Plumber

  • First Place: Bodenheimer Plumbing
  • Runner-up: Smith Plumbing

Best Auto Service

  • First Place: Twin City Automotive
  • Runner-up: Jackson Auto Worx

Best Limo/Party Bus

  • First Place: Black Tie Transportation
  • Runner-up: Triad Eco Adventures

Best Landscaping Company

  • First Place: Hope Lawn Care
  • Runner-up: On Time Lawn Care

Best Law Firm

  • First Place: Dummit-Fradin Attorneys at Law
  • Runner-up: Vance Parker/ King Latham Law (tie)

Best Pest Control

  • First Place: McNeely Pest Control

Best DUI Attorney

  • First Place: Clarke Dummit/Michael Fradin (tie)

Best Roofing Company

  • First Place: Big Anchor Roofing & Gutters
  • Runner-up: J&M Roofing

Best Personal Injury Attorney

  • First Place: Daggett & Shuler
  • Runner-up: Dummit-Fradin Attorneys at Law

Best Homebuilder

  • First Place: Reece Builder
  • Runner-up: Dream Maker Bath & Kitchen

Best Insurance Agency

  • First Place: McCall Insurance Services
  • Runner-up: Rick Babusiak (State Farm)

Best Realtor

  • First Place: Rhonda Nelson (Keller Williams)
  • Runner-up: Arlene Rouse (Leonard Ryden Burr)

Best Auto Body Shop

  • First Place: Pat’s Body Shop
  • Runner-up: Ray’s Body Shop/ Jackson Auto Worx (tie)

Best Pet Groomer

  • First Place: Fur Pet Salon & Day Spa/ Ruff Housing (tie)

Best Criminal Defense Attorney

  • First Place: Clarke Dummit

Best Heating & Air Company

  • First Place: Gwyn Services
  • Runner-up: Eanes Heating & Air Conditioning

Best Financial Planner

  • First Place: Doug Ray (Wealth Guardians)
  • Runner-up: Jeff Davids (Edward Jones)

Best Electrician

  • First Place: Gwyn Services
  • Runner-up: Clayton Allen (CW Allen Electric)

Best Property Management Company

  • First Place: Hunter Realty and Property Management LLC/Real Property Management of the Triad (tie)

Best Dry Cleaner

  • First Place: Shores Fine Dry Cleaning
  • Runner-up: Craft Cleaners

Best Foundation Repair

  • First Place: Tar Heel Basement
  • Runner-up: Structural Repair of the Triad

Best Car service

  • First Place: Uber
  • Runner-up: Classic Cab Co.

Best Family Law Attorney

  • First Place: Vance Parker
  • Runner-up: Dummit Fradin Attorneys at Law

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