It’s time for the Maggy Awards!
Cary Magazine‘s most popular feature, the Maggy Awards generate lots of buzz for the top businesses in Western Wake, with thousands of voters each year.
Wondering how the awards work? We’ve put together this FAQ just for you!
What exactly are the Maggy Awards?
Think of them as readers’ choice awards. We began recognizing the Best of Western Wake in 2006, and the Maggys have grown every year since. The 2026 Maggy Award winners will be announced in the March 2026 issue of Cary Magazine.
For an example, check out Cary Magazine’s 2025 winners here.
How are the winners chosen?
We ask readers to name their favorite people and places in 90-plus categories, which may change year by year. Voting will take place from November 3 to December 5, 2025, by online ballot. Those receiving the most votes in each category become the winners.
Why are there three divisions of the Maggy Awards? Couldn’t you just recognize one group of overall winners?
Building on the success and recognition of the original Cary Magazine Maggy Awards that recognize winners in Cary, Apex, and Morrisville, our sister publications now award their own Maggy Awards: the Best of Main & Broad covering Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina and the Best of Wake Living covering Raleigh, Wake Forest, and Knightdale.
Our publications cover different regions, with towns of different sizes and preferences. To recognize winners relevant to the maximum number of readers, each publication honors winners from its coverage area.
May I vote more than once?
While we appreciate the enthusiasm and support of your favorite local business, unfortunately you may only vote once. Final votes are tallied based on one ballot per valid email address.
How can I suggest a category for next year’s ballot?
We revise the ballot every year to reflect the community support for each category. If you have a suggestion for the 2027 Maggy Awards, please shoot us an email at editor@carymagazine.com.
Are advertisers given precedence?
No. Winners are determined solely by reader votes.
But several winners are advertisers in the magazine.
True, some frequent advertisers are also recurrent Maggy winners. Many businesses also choose to run “thank you” advertisements to show appreciation for our readers’ support.
Are local businesses given preference?
Yes! Year after year, readers have encouraged us to feature more local businesses as Maggy Awards recipients. We recognize that local establishments likely don’t have the widespread recognition of national chains, so in order to honor those local-first requests, we ask readers to place their votes for locally owned restaurants, shops, and service providers.
Why are there still some national chains?
The ballot does include locally owned franchises of national brands. We also include national brands that are based in North Carolina.
I disagree with one of the winners. I had a bad experience!
No business is perfect. Even the best are bound to have off days. Consider giving the winners another chance to redeem themselves.
I missed the voting process this year. How can I find out about it for future years?
Subscribe to our email newsletter and follow Cary Magazine on social media so you won’t miss our announcements regarding the voting timetable.
I MUST, once again, nominate Jonathan Fredin for a Maggy Award, Photographer of the Year. Jonathan’s photos throughout the magazine are stunning. The images of food and beverages often make me want to eat or drink the offering pictured on the page. He shows us delightful pictures of cats and dogs; kids enjoying outdoor activities; and stunning scenes of nature throughout our area; and each person he photographs looks like a supermodel. The first thing I do when the magazine arrives is flip to the back to see what Jonathan’s skillful photography has for us to enjoy.
The article “Top Dog”, about Sweeny, as relayed by Erin McKnight, was poignant and loving. It was so special for Jonathan to share this part of himself with us. Seeing the photos of Sweeny over the years along with his story was touching. I know it meant a lot to the Petrovichs and Sweeny’s friends.
(Thank you for still being the hometown magazine with unusual articles like this. It’s what is charming about Cary and I hope that never changes.)
Deborah Gregson
Such lovely words! Thank you for your support!