Who picked the winners?
You did! Starting in January, 225 area residents were invited to nominate and vote for their favorite 2022 award candidates at 225batonrouge.com. Anyone residing in a greater Baton Rouge ZIP code and with a valid email address was able to participate.
How did voting work?
It was a two-part process:
Round 1—Nominations: On a fill-in-the-blank ballot, participants can write in their favorite local businesses and people. For 2022, nominations were open Jan. 5 to Feb. 9.
Round 2—Voting: The people and businesses that received the most nominations in each category are listed on the ballot. Voting was open March 3 to April 7.
How many times could people nominate and vote?
Each participant was able to nominate and/or vote for each category one time. Our tech team ensures that votes can’t be rigged or stacked. No cheating allowed, sorry!
My favorite business wasn’t on your ballot last year! Why won’t you add a write-in option?
We do have a write-in option: our nomination period. The entire ballot is comprised of whatever businesses or people our readers nominate in each category. Whether they end up on the final ballot is determined entirely by how many people nominate them for a category.
So it’s just a popularity contest?
Winners are chosen by how many votes they received, so naturally the most well-known, beloved businesses in town are more likely to win. But we like to think Best of 225 is about more than just the winners. There are plenty of smaller, up-and-coming businesses moving up the ranks. If you’re searching for hidden gems, check out the runners up. And be sure to tell your friends to support your favorites during nominations and voting!
I’ve heard it’s just advertisers who win. Is that true?
No. 225 has many advertisers who have never won an award. We also have longtime, repeat winners who have never advertised in 225. We uphold the highest ethical journalism standards, and the winners of Best of 225—as well as the subjects of every story in the magazine—are never determined by advertising.
Why don’t you have a category for ________________?
We publish a new Best of 225 Awards edition each year. To keep things fresh, we switch up our categories each year—adding a few new ones and bringing back some old favorites. Feel free to leave suggestions for new categories in the comments online. We’ll take them into consideration as we plan future awards.
I want to vote next year! When will the 2023 nominations and voting open?
We are already working on next year’s awards behind the scenes. Your chance to write in nominations and vote for your favorites will all kick off in January. Stay tuned to our free newsletter 225 Daily for updates!
I still have questions. How can I contact the magazine?
You can reach our team at [email protected] for more info. We will be happy to answer your questions.