You nominated your favorites, and now it’s time to vote for the Best.

Final voting now open: Vote here.

Kansas City magazine’s annual Best of KC reader’s choice poll has made its return. On Thursday, you can begin voting for your favorites in three hundred categories, from best burnt ends to best wedding videographer.

Voting will conclude on June 17 and the winners will be announced in print in our August issue and online on August 1.

The nominations phase closed out a few weeks ago, with a 36% increase in submissions from last year’s nominations round.

Last year’s Best of KC issue exploded in popularity, with the pandemic causing people to look for ways to support their favorite local businesses at a time many were hurting. We tallied more than 100,000 votes in the first four days of the poll and had more than 350,000 cast in the last round alone. Those numbers were both significant jumps from previous years, and showed just how much readers love their city and want to engage in ways of pointing others to their favorites.

Check out  last year’s best of KC winners starting here and here. The winners of the poll included some predictable wins by longtime favorites, like Joe’s Barbecue, but also a number of upstart winners who marshaled strong followings. (Hot tip for anyone looking for the best way to win: Campaign to get support from friends and loyal customers.)

Our August issue will also feature editor’s picks for the best things in Kansas City, which tend to be more offbeat and unique. You can check out last year’s editor’s picks here.

If you want to make sure you’re the first to see the final ballot be sure to sign up for our newsletters.