Maggy Awards FAQ:

What exactly are the Maggy Awards?

Think of them as readers’ choice awards. We began recognizing the Best of Western Wake in 2006, and the Maggy Awards have grown every year since. The winners are published in the January issue of Cary Magazine each year.

How are the winners chosen?

By your votes! Readers vote for their local favorites in four categories — Restaurants, Services, Lifestyle and Shopping — and the people and businesses receiving the most votes win. New for 2016, we’ve streamlined the voting process to a single step, to make it faster and easier for you to take part.

Are advertisers given precedence?

No. Winners are determined solely by reader votes.

But several winners are advertisers in the magazine.

True, some frequent advertisers are recurrent Maggy Awards winners. Many businesses also choose to run “thank you” advertisements to show appreciation for our readers’ support.

Why were some previous winners not on the ballot?

Year after year, you have encouraged us to feature more local businesses as Maggy Awards recipients. We recognize that local establishments likely don’t have the widespread recognition of national chains, so in order to honor your requests, we limit the ballot to locally-owned restaurants, shops and service providers.

Why are there still some national chains?

The ballot does include locally-owned franchises of national brands.

I disagree with one of the winners. I had a bad experience!

No business is perfect. Even the best are bound to have off days and a few unsatisfied customers. Consider giving the winners another chance to redeem themselves.

I missed the voting process this year. How can I find out about it for future years?

Subscribe to our email newsletter and follow Cary Magazine on social media, so you won’t miss our announcements regarding the voting timetable.

Thanks for taking part in the 2016 Maggy Awards!