Check the FAQs to find the answers to all of your Best of C-VILLE-related questions.
How does Best of C-VILLE work?
Best of C-VILLE is conducted in two phases: the nomination phase and the voting phase. In the nomination phase, readers have their opportunity to tell us their favorite people, places, and things in Charlottesville—no holds barred! From there, we take the top five nominees in each subcategory and move them to the final ballot. Then we ask you to vote, and the top three (winner, runner-up, honorable mention) end up in our annual magazine, on stands August 28.
How do I make a nomination?
Go to c-ville.com/nominate, login through Facebook and select the category you’re interested in and select your choice from the drop-down menu in each subcategory. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, type the name in the box below. Do this for all the sub-categories in which you want to make nominations, then click “Submit.” Your nomination will be added to the list, so you can tell clients and friends to go back to the nomination ballot and select your business. (The nomination phase runs Wednesday, April 24, through Friday, May 17. )
How do I vote?
Go to c-ville.com/vote, login through Facebook and select the category you’re interested in and select your choice from the drop-down menu in each subcategory. Do this for all the sub-categories in which you want to vote, then click “Submit.” (Voting runs Wednesday, May 29, through Friday, June 21.)
Is it OK if I ask friends to nominate or vote for a particular person or business?
Yes. We want Best of C-VILLE to reach the greatest possible number of participants. Sharing via social media, email, or a good old-fashioned phone call is perfectly fine. What’s not fine is any unethical attempt to stuff the ballot box. We scrutinize all nominations and votes, and if we discover cheating, we reserve the right to invalidate them.
I don’t have Facebook. Can I still nominate?
Unfortunately, no. You must have Facebook to nominate and to vote. We realize this is frustrating for some folks, but our No. 1 priority is security—no cheaters!—and this was the best way to ensure people weren’t casting more than one ballot.
Can I add a subcategory?
No. The final list of subcategories is decided by C-VILLE’s editorial team over a weeks-long process. You may make a suggestion for next year’s ballot by e-mailing bestof@c-ville.com.
But my usual subcategory isn’t on the ballot this year.
We make no promises that the ballot will remain exactly the same year to year. It’s at the discretion of C-VILLE’s editorial staff to add or nix subcategories. We do our best to include enough subcategories, however, that even the niche-iest businesses will have a place to land.
I’d like to nominate my entire dental practice/yoga studio/vet office, rather than one individual.
That’s so sweet. However, it’s our policy to only allow individuals to be nominated. If more than one individual from a practice is nominated, well, that just signals to readers that your business really is the place to go!
I nominated a business in Staunton/Waynesboro and it was taken off the list. Huh?
We love escaping to Staunton as much as anyone, but this competition is Best of C-VILLE, so we’re only including Valley nominees if they can be considered a destination—wineries, breweries, restaurants, theaters, that sort of thing. Sorry we can’t include your favorite mortgage lender in Waynesboro, but there are plenty here in Charlottesville (read Best of C-VILLE, on stands August 28, to find out who’s tops!). If you’re a Staunton or Waynesboro resident, those locales are celebrated in The News Virginian’s annual Valley Favorites awards.
I nominated in one subcategory and went back to try to nominate in another but it wouldn’t let me. What gives?
You have to make all your nominations for a category (Services, Food & Drink, etc.) in one fell swoop, then click “Submit.” You don’t, however, have to make a nomination in every subcategory (Best Realtor, Best Bar, etc.) of a category. (Sorry about the cumbersome terminology.)
I see something listed in a subcategory that doesn’t belong there. How do you determine who makes it on the final ballot?
The final ballot is created using the top five nominees in each subcategory. That excludes people, businesses, etc. that are not relevant to the subcategory or are no longer in operation. You might still see those options on the nomination ballot, however, because to continually remove them (just to have someone add them again) is, let’s be honest, kind of a pain.
I nominated something and it was deleted.
Just guessing here, but did you nominate something inappropriate? Ain’t nobody got time for your jokes. (For real, though, if you feel like we deleted something in error, e-mail bestof@c-ville.com and we’ll see what we can do.)
How does Best of the Best work?
We have eliminated the Best of the Best category in 2019.
When does this process end?
The nomination phase runs Wednesday, April 24, through Friday, May 17. Voting runs Wednesday, May 29, through Friday, June 21.
Still have questions? E-mail bestof@c-ville.com.