HOW WE YOU CROWNED THIS YEAR’S WINNERS

Nominations and voting for the 2024 Best of 225 Awards were open to all Capital Region residents earlier this year at 225batonrouge.com.

It went down in a two-part process:

1. You wrote in fill-in-the-blank nominations.

Back in January and February, locals submitted more than 16,000 nominations for this year’s award categories.

2. You voted for your faves.

In March, the restaurants, shops, people and groups with the most nominations were entered onto the multiple-choice-style ballot. Nearly 16,000 locals cast votes to determine this year’s results.

Learn more:

Find info about how the whole process works in our Best of 225 FAQ.

CH-CH-CHANGES

While some winners claim their titles in landslides, other categories demonstrate why we preach that every. vote. counts. Watch for these illustrations throughout—our cartoon characters champion how the awards continue to evolve.

First-time winner

It’s a big deal to claim the top spot for the first time. Hats off to this group.

Close race

With almost 16,000 people casting votes, it’s wild to think some awards are decided by less than a 1% difference. In fact, one category was tied this year.

New category

Every year when this issue comes out, our inboxes are flooded with suggestions. We hear you—we promise. We’ll surely swap some of the 2024 categories for freshies in 2025. Email [email protected] with category ideas for next year.

Don’t forget the runners up.

OK, so you’ve heard of most of the winners. But have you visited the runners up? There are 288 in this year’s edition—don’t skip them. Think of them as the city’s rising stars and hidden gems. You might find your new favorite spot here and maybe even next year’s winners.