The Washington Informer, a weekly newspaper run by and for women and African-American communities in D.C., announced the winners of its first “Best of the DMV” awards on Dec. 21. The outlet celebrated the announcement with an awards ceremony and fundraiser supporting the James Wright Memorial Scholarship. The event took place at Busboys and Poets, a restaurant and bookstore known for hosting community-centered cultural programming.
Overall, the awards recognized a wide range of local excellence. Specifically, categories included restaurants, legal professionals, and local music acts. Importantly, DMV residents led the nomination process by submitting the names of businesses and creators they value. As a result, many winners said the recognition positively impacted their work and visibility.
Although this marked the first year of the awards, community participation exceeded expectations. In total, more than 2,000 nominees and 15,000 votes were submitted. Consequently, each category narrowed to three finalists. Ultimately, the success of the project depended on strong community support for local businesses.
While some organizations helped promote the initiative at launch, community members carried most of the effort. In fact, many participants nominated individuals they personally believed deserved recognition. “I would say about 95 percent of the participation was organic,” said Ra-Jah Kelly, chief technology officer of the Washington Informer. “During the voting round, people really came through and supported organizations or people they were passionate about.”
Meanwhile, local media organizations earned several top honors. Two categories, Best Local News Organization and Best Podcast Production Team or Studio, went to Listen In With KNN!. Additionally, The Washington Informer won Best Community-Based Newsletter. Similarly, Howard University’s WHUR-FM 96.3 received Best HBCU and Homecoming in the DMV.
For Listen In With KNN!, the awards reflect its growing role in the local media ecosystem. Notably, the outlet centers its work on community-based reporting and audio storytelling. “I love this recognition for my larger team,” said founder Kelsey Nicole Nelson. “From interns to staff, everyone works relentlessly to bring the community into the conversation.”
Beyond organizational wins, individual leaders also received recognition. In addition, Nelson earned Best Social Media Influencer and Best Community Journalist. Meanwhile, Dr. Kaye Wise Whitehead won Best Radio Personality for her WEAA segment, Today With Dr. Kaye. Together, these honors highlight the diversity of voices shaping media in the DMV.
At the same time, the awards spotlighted arts and culture organizations. For example, DC Black Broadway won Best Community Theater for its work amplifying Black youth voices in D.C. Currently, the organization operates without a permanent space. However, founder Dr. Lovail M. Long, Sr. shared on Instagram that he hopes the recognition will help secure a location and create a safe creative hub.
Looking ahead, the success of the inaugural “Best of the DMV” awards underscores the impact of community-driven recognition. Overall, the thousands of nominations and votes demonstrate how deeply residents value the businesses, creators, and institutions that shape the DMV’s cultural landscape.
