Staff report

Nominations are being accepted for the best of the best of the best among local businesses, organizations and service providers in the 2026 Marietta Times Readers’ Choice contest.

Nominations open Wednesday and continue through March 24 at mariettatimes.com/readerschoice in more than 200 categories across 10 primary classifications: Body & Soul, Entertainment & Travel, Food & Dining, Health & Beauty, Home & Garden, Kids & Education, Pets, Services, Shopping and Vehicles.

Awards in the annual contest are driven by the residents who benefit and use the services provided by the businesses and organizations, Lisa Northcraft, advertising director for The Marietta Times, said.

“While residents appreciate the work the businesses and groups provide, we appreciate the readers who help us celebrate and recognize them each year with the contest,” Northcraft said.

Nominees will be announced on May 6.

The first round of voting begins May 6 when the subcategories are narrowed to five nominees each. First-round voting will continue through May 14.

The top five vote-getters will be announced on June 10. The final voting round will begin June 10 and end on June 18.

Voting will be entirely online. Readers can vote once per category per day.

Votes will be counted by an independent third party.

The winner and two finalists in each category will be announced on July 22 in the newspaper and online at mariettatimes.com.