Voting starts January 2, but you can guarantee a spot on the ballot and promote your business NOW!
Every year, Virginia gets excited to vote for their favorites in our annual Best of Virginia readers’ survey, driving engagement for businesses throughout the Commonwealth!
The Best of Virginia 2026 reader survey will attract an estimated 100,000 voters, generate over 1,000,000 votes, and serve millions of page impressions.
Tap into this powerhouse by placing your business in front of Virginia Living’s active, affluent, and deeply loyal audience!
☆ Register Your Business ☆
Register your business to enjoy priority nomination handling, complete profile control, and exclusive promotional opportunities.
Highlight your business—completely FREE!
Click here to register now!
☆ Promote Your Business ☆
Exclusive Presenting Sponsor
Lead the way in Virginia’s most celebrated reader survey. As the Exclusive Presenting Sponsor, your brand commands top-tier visibility across the Best of Virginia ballot. Leverage dominant placement on the ballot homepage, regional landing pages, every ballot page, and wallpaper throughout.
Click here to learn more!
Dominant logo placement on the homepage
• Links to your website or your business ballot
• 156K+ impressions*
Dominant logo placement on 5 regional landing pages
• Links to your website or your business ballot
• 35K+ impressions*
Logo at bottom of every ballot page
• 1.9M+ impressions*
Logo on wallpaper
• 1.9M+ impressions*
Become a sponsor! Contact our media consultants here.
Supporting Sponsor
Align your brand with Virginia’s most anticipated annual reader survey. As Supporting Sponsor, your logo appears on the Best of Virginia ballot homepage and regional landing pages—reinforcing brand awareness and generating response from tens of thousands of deeply loyal Virginia Living audience voters!
Click here to learn more!
Logo placement on the homepage
- Links to your website or to your business ballot
- 156K+ impressions*
Logo placement on each of 5 regional landing pages (stacked vertically)
• Links to your website or to your business ballot)• 35K+ impressions*
Become a sponsor! Contact our media consultants here.
Regional Sponsor
Showcase your regional dominance! As a Regional Sponsor, your banner and interstitial advertisement appears before voters in your region, connecting your business directly with those closest to you!
Click here to learn more!
Banner Advertisement
• Appears at bottom center of regional landing page
• Advertisement links directly to your website or your business ballot
• 35K+ impressions*
• Specifications: Desktop: 728×90 • Mobile: 300×50
Interstitial Advertisement
• Appears after every five categories while voters are navigating through the ballot
• Advertisement links directly to your website or your business ballot
• 35K+ impressions* • Specifications: Desktop: 970×250 • Mobile: 300×600
Become a sponsor! Contact our media consultants here.
☆ Promote Your Business with Self-Service Advertising ☆
Want to promote your business? Head to our self-service advertising portal.
Category Sponsor
Displays a 300 x 600 ad directly next to the category vote, bringing attention to the voters who are ready to see your content. On mobile devices, this ad will display above the voting in a standard 300×250 formatting, making it easy for you to create and use marketing materials.
Click here to learn more!
Category Advertising Package includes:
- Skyscraper-style advertisement appears on the category ballot next to nominee
- Advertisement links directly to your website or your business ballot
- 35K+ impressions*
- Specifications: Desktop: 300×600 | Mobile: 300×250
- $499
Click here to advertise.
Regional Interstitial Sponsor
Look good when your audience is looking. An interstitial ad puts your business’s well-designed ad right where the voter’s eyes are: in-between votes in your ballot group. Stand out from your competitors and elevate your brand with a can’t-miss interstitial ad.
Click here to learn more!
Interstitial Advertisement Package includes:
- Appears after every five categories while voters are navigating through the ballot
- Advertisement links directly to your website or your business ballot
- 35K+ impressions*
- Specifications: Desktop: 970×250 | Mobile: 300×600
- $999
Click here to advertise.
Profile Card
Display all of your business information in a compact, yet beautiful modal. The profile card ad is the best option when you want to get your audience directly to your site. Whether connecting your homepage, your social media profiles, or even a map to your physical address, this ad delivers.
Click here to learn more!
.Profile Card Package includes:
- Business name | Logo | Phone number | Web and social links | Featured image | Six-word description
- Links directly to your website or your business ballot
- Specifications: Six-word company bio
- Logo image: 225px by 225px
- Featured Image: 600px by 500px
- Automatic placement on the ballot
- $199
Click here to advertise.
Custom Ballot
Create a single, shareable QR code that streamlines voting across only the categories where you’ve been nominated, making it easy for your supporters to cast their votes.
Click here to learn more!
- One click to download your Custom QR code
- Custom QR Code links directly to your business ballot
- Use in your promotions – flyers, posters, cards – anywhere you advertise your business!
- $20
Click here to advertise.
☆ Best of Virginia Voting ☆
Celebrate the businesses that make Virginia shine! With 111 categories this year spanning restaurants, breweries, spas, shops, services, and more, your votes help spotlight the best in every corner of the Commonwealth. Choose your favorites across our regions: Central, Northern, Eastern, Shenandoah Valley, and Southwest Virginia. Gear up for voting and choose the best!
Write-ins are not available yet. You’ll be able to write in your favorite businesses starting Jan. 2, 2026, when voting opens.
During the voting period, if a business receives at least 10 write-in votes, it will appear on the ballot for everyone to see and vote on.
☆ Frequently Asked Questions ☆
I have a new category idea.
We’re always striving to keep our ballots fresh—email [email protected]. We’ll be sure to bring up your suggestion when we reconvene for next year’s categories.
I want to up my marketing game! Do you have a press kit?
Yes! Click here for a press kit with the logo, social media assets, and printable flyers.
I noticed a business on the ballot has closed. What do I do?
Email [email protected] with your information, and we’ll take it from there.
How do I register my business?
How do I promote my business?
For top-tier advertising, contact our media consultants here.
For self-service advertising, click here!
How will I know if I won?
Our editorial team will email you from the [email protected] email in February, as well as call your business, to let you know of your win. So be sure to register your business so you can receive the information as accurately and quickly as possible!
The winners will be announced to everyone in our Best of Virginia special issue in the second week of May. Make sure to subscribe and guarantee your copy to your doorstep!
How are the businesses on the ballot selected?
This initiative is entirely reader-driven. Our audience votes for the “Best of Virginia.” First, second, and third place are determined by the number of votes each business receives. Our online ballot divides Virginia into five regions, each containing the same 111 categories with 10 of the previous year’s top vote-getters. However, you can write in businesses that are not already on the ballot.
Write-ins are not available yet. You’ll be able to write in your favorite businesses starting January 2, 2026, when voting opens.
During the voting period, if a business receives at least 10 write-in votes, it will appear on the ballot for everyone to see and vote on.
If you purchase a profile card, your business will automatically appear on the ballot.
How do I vote for my favorite business?
Go to BOV2026.VirginiaLiving.com. Please sign in at the top black bar or create an account. You will need to enter your name and ZIP code, and verify your e-mail. Don’t worry! This is just to ensure robots aren’t taking over.
Choose the region you want to vote in. If you need a reminder of where your town/city is, check out our Virginia Living Regions list. Scroll the list of categories, and choose your desired one. Then select your favorite business or enter it in the text box. Make sure to click the save button. Happy voting!
Do I need to vote for every single category?
Although we want to know all of your favorites, you do not need to vote in every category for your vote to be recorded.
I have another question not listed. Who do I contact?
Please email Digital Editor Gabriela Gonçalves at [email protected].
