Outer Banks Coastal Life Best Of Readers’ Choice Awards 2026

Voting in the Outer Banks Coastal Life Best Of Readers’ Choice Awards is a wonderful way to celebrate the places you love and the people who make this region special. These awards are designed to spotlight our local business community—the independent shops, restaurants, professionals, and locally owned or franchised businesses that capture the spirit of life on the Outer Banks.

By voting, you’re supporting the people and businesses who invest in our coastal communities, employ our neighbors, and help create the experiences that make the OBX unforgettable. From Food & Drink to Home & Garden and beyond, readers like you will determine who rises to the top. Winners will be those who receive the highest number of votes overall in their categories at the conclusion of the contest.

We thank you in advance for your participation and look forward to sharing the results with you in our Spring 2026 issue of Outer Banks Coastal Life!

The Best Of Awards

FIRST ROUND VOTING PERIOD: May 20 – August 31, 2026

FINAL ROUND VOTING PERIOD: September 8 – October 31, 2026

If you do not see your favorite business on the ballot, you may nominate them until October 10. This nomination will also serve as your vote. Please allow 48 business hours for your approved nominated vote to appear in the pre-populated choices on the ballot.

Note: During the finalist round the ballot is locked and no new write-in nominations will be allowed. The nominees that will be listed are those that received enough nomination votes to advance to the final round in each category. Each finalist starts the final round on a level playing field, so cast your votes to help your favorites win. Thank you! 

Rules and Regulations

• You may vote one time per category for the duration of the contest (a nomination counts as a vote!).
• Outer Banks Coastal Life reserves the right to modify any categories and/or contestants.
• A contestant may be nominated in a maximum of six categories. Any nominations following their sixth category will be removed.
• Eligible nominees should be businesses or professionals based in the Outer Banks region. While national chains may be part of daily life, this contest is focused on highlighting locally owned businesses and locally franchised establishments that are rooted in our community.
• Duplicate submissions by the same entrant will be subject to disqualification. Any attempt by any entrant to obtain more than the stated number of entries by using multiple/different social media or email accounts, identities, registrations and logins, or any other methods will void that entrant’s entries and that entrant may be disqualified. All terms and conditions of any utilized social media apply. Multiple entrants are not permitted to share the same social media or e-mail account. Use of any automated system to participate is prohibited and will result in disqualification. In the event of a dispute as to any social media or e-mail account, the authorized account holder of the email address used to register on the platform will be deemed to be the entrant. The “authorized account holder” is the natural person assigned an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted address. Each potential winner may be required to show proof of being the authorized account holder.

A contestant will be immediately disqualified if they are found guilty of violating one of the following contest rules:

• Exchanging a good or service for votes (including bribes, sales, discounts, free, etc.)
• Exploiting a competing contestant negatively for personal gain or votes
• Participating in fraudulent voting (third-party resources, fraudulent emails, etc.)

If you see someone guilty of any of the above, please report to ethan@vistamediainc.com

By participating in the Outer Banks Coastal Life Best Of Readers’ Choice Awards, your email address will automatically be added into our contact database at the conclusion of the contest. You may receive e-newsletters and/or digital promotions and can unsubscribe at any time. Your data will not be shared with outside entities.