Nominations Open for Best of Oxford 2026 Community Recognition Contest

The window is open for Oxford residents to shape one of the community's most-watched business recognition contests, with nominations for Best of Oxford 2026 now running through March 27 via the Oxford Eagle's online ballot.

The contest covers more than 200 categories spanning dining, retail, health care and professional services, giving the community a broad platform to elevate the businesses, organizations and professionals they rely on most. Nominations can be submitted once per day, and that daily frequency carries real weight: only businesses that receive a nomination during this phase are eligible to advance to the final voting round.

Rebecca Alexander, publisher of the Oxford Eagle, pointed to last year's numbers as evidence of growing stakes. More than 270,000 individual votes were cast across the nomination and voting rounds in 2025, and Alexander noted that daily participation directly shapes which local businesses reach the ballot. "Because readers can participate daily, nominating each day truly makes a difference in determining which local businesses make it to the voting round," she said.

The path from nomination to recognition follows a clear structure. The top five nominees in each category advance to the voting round, which opens April 29 and closes May 24. Winners will be announced in the July-August edition of Oxford Magazine and published online.

For small-business owners in Oxford and Lafayette County, the competition represents more than a plaque. Advancing in the contest, and ultimately winning, carries meaningful visibility in a market where community trust drives foot traffic and referrals. The annual recognition is built around the idea that the businesses shaping Oxford's local economy and culture deserve to be named publicly.

Nominations are submitted through the online ballot hosted on the Oxford Eagle website. The deadline is March 27.