Tampa Bay names their favorites in the 2022 Watermark Awards for Variety and Excellence

FAVORITE LOCAL POLITICIAN
First: Tampa Mayor Jane Castor
Second: Former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman
Third: St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch

FAVORITE LOCAL ACTIVIST
First: Nadine Smith, Equality Florida
Second: Jim Nixon, City of St. Petersburg
Third: Johnny Boykins, Pinellas County Young Democrats

GREATEST ALLY TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
First: Former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman
Second: Carol “Mama” Steen
Third: John and Nancy Desmond, PFLAG Tampa

MOST EFFECTIVE LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
First: Metro Inclusive Health
Second: St Pete Pride
Third: Empath Partners in Care (EPIC)

FAVORITE LOCAL TRANS-AFFIRMING ORGANIZATION
First: Metro Inclusive Health
Second: St Pete Pride
Third: Equality Florida

FAVORITE LOCAL SPORTS LEAGUE/ORGANIZATION
First: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Second: Tampa Bay Lightning
Third: Tampa Bay Rays

FAVORITE LOCAL WRITER/JOURNALIST
First: Ryan Williams-Jent, Watermark
Second: Tiffany Razzano, Watermark
Third: Dave Borman, Tampa Bay Gay

FAVORITE LOCAL WEBSITE
First: WatermarkOnline.com
Second: ILoveTheBurg.com
Third: StPete.org

FAVORITE LOCAL FUNDRAISING EVENT
First: Drag Queen Bingo, Punky’s Bar & Grill
Second: Dining Out for Life, Empath Partners in Care
Third: Red & Green Party, St Pete Pride

MOST PRIDEFUL LOCAL EVENT
First: St Pete Pride
Second: Tampa Pride
Third: Come OUT St. Pete

FAVORITE LOCAL TRANS-AFFIRMING EVENT
First: St Pete Pride’s TransPride March
Second: Metro Inclusive Health’s Outside the Binary
Third: Tampa Pride

FAVORITE NON-LOCAL MEGA LGBTQ EVENT
First: Gay Day at Disney’s Magic Kingdom
Second: Come Out with Pride
Third: Stonewall Pride Wilton Manors

FAVORITE LOCAL BUSINESS NOT A BAR/CLUB
First: Out of the Closet Thrift Store
Second: 6S Boutique
Third: Zazoo’d

FAVORITE NEW LOCAL BUSINESS
First: Cocktail
Second: Bulge Apparel & Gifts
Third: Zubrick Magic Theatre

FAVORITE LOCAL HEALTH CARE FACILITY
First: Metro Inclusive Health
Second: Diversity Health Center of Tampa Bay
Third: CAN Community Health

FAVORITE LOCAL HAIR SALON/BARBER SHOP
First: Tyler’z Barbershop
Second: Salon Swank
Third: Salon West

FAVORITE LOCAL MAKEUP ARTIST
First: Jaeda Fuentes, Jaeda Fuentes Makeup
Second: Ian Glending, Freelance Makeup Artist
Third: Taylor Francen, Olivia Poppy Salon

FAVORITE LOCAL FITNESS CENTER
First: Crunch Fitness St. Petersburg
Second: CrossFit St. Pete
Third: Planet Fitness Clearwater

FAVORITE LOCAL VETERINARIAN CLINIC
First: SPCA Tampa Bay
Second: Royal Pets Market & Resort Veterinary Center
Third: Northeast Animal Hospital

FAVORITE PLACE TO PAMPER YOUR PET
First: Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming St. Pete
Second: Bow Wow Barber
Third: Royal Pets Market & Resort

FAVORITE LOCAL REALTOR
First: Eric Wilson, The Wilson Group, Keller Williams Realty
Second: Amy Storch, The Storch Group, Sellstate Coastal Realty
Third: Caitlin Jones, Jones Home Team, DaltonWade Real Estate Group

FAVORITE LOCAL ATTORNEY
First: Lindsey Sheppy, GBY Law
Second: Liz Moneymaker, Ferrari, Butler & Moneymaker, PLLC
Third: Bobby King, The King Law Firm, PA

FAVORITE LOCAL CPA/ACCOUNTANT
First: Tax & Accounting By The Bay
Second: Kathy K. Cregan, CPA, Cregan & Co.
Third: Joel Schmitz, CPA

FAVORITE PLACE TO BUY A CAR
First: Tyrone Square Mazda
Second: CarMax Clearwater
Third: Lokey Kia

FAVORITE LOCAL SHOPPING/ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT
First: The Grand Central District
Second: Ybor
Third: The Edge District

FAVORITE LOCAL GEEK SPOT
First: Mad Hatter’s Ethnobotanical Tea Bar
Second: Emerald City Comics
Third: Right Around the Corner Arcade Brewery

FAVORITE LOCAL TRANS-AFFIRMING SPACE
First: The Grand Central District
Second: Inclusivitea
Third: Bradley’s on 7th

FAVORITE LOCAL WEDDING VENUE
First: Sunken Gardens
Second: Armature Works
Third: Red Mesa Events

FAVORTE LOCAL FAITH-BASED ESTABLISHMENT
First: MCC Tampa
Second: Allendale UMC
Third: King of Peace MCC

FAVORITE LOCAL FLORIST
First: St Pete Florist
Second: Green Bench Flowers
Third: Apple Blossoms Floral Designs

FAVORITE LOCAL MUSEUM
First: The Dali Museum
Second: The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art
Third: Museum of Fine Arts, St. Pete

FAVORITE LOCAL SPACE TO BUY ART
First: MIZE Gallery
Second: Studio@620
Third: Morean Arts Center

FAVORITE LOCAL HOTEL/B&B
First: Hollander Hotel
Second: Casa del Merman at GayStPete House
Third: Casa Puente Guest House

FAVORITE LOCAL FRAMING SHOP
First: Michael’s St. Petersburg
Second: Tyrone Frames & Mirrors
Third: Gallery Barbas

FAVORITE LOCAL ARTIST
First: Chad Mize
Second: Nelson Perez
Third: Painkiller Cam

FAVORITE LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER
First: Dylan Todd
Second: Morgan Le Shade
Third: Robert Castelli

FAVORITE LOCAL RESTAURANT
First: Red Mesa Restaurant
Second: Punky’s Bar & Grill
Third: Noble Crust

FAVORITE LOCAL BRUNCH SPOT
First: The Hollander
Second: Hamburger Mary’s Clearwater
Third: Mixers at Old Key West

FAVORITE LOCAL LATE NIGHT DINING
First: New York New York Pizza, Ybor
Second: Bodgega St. Pete
Third: Red Mesa Cantina

FAVORITE LOCAL CATERER
First: Sonny’s BBQ
Second: Red Mesa Mercado
Third: Lolita’s Catering + Events

FAVORITE LOCAL LGBTQ BAR/CLUB
First: Enigma Bar & Lounge
Second: Quench Lounge
Third: Cocktail

FAVORITE LOCAL ALLIED BAR/CLUB
First: The Dog Bar
Second: Mixers at Old Key West
Third: The Saint Speakeasy

FAVORITE LOCAL HAPPY HOUR
First: Quench Lounge
Second: Enigma Bar & Lounge
Third: Cocktail

FAVORITE KARAOKE, TRIVIA OR BINGO NIGHT
First: Alexis De La Mer, Drag Queen Bingo at Quench Lounge
Second: Georgia Moore, Drag Queen Bingo at Punky’s Bar & Grill
Third: Theresa McGivern, Karaoke at Quench Lounge

FAVORITE LOCAL BARTENDER/SERVER
First: Kerissa Hickey, Enigma Bar & Lounge
Second: Nikos Daras, Quench Lounge
Third: Tim Seward, The Garage on Central Ave.

FAVORITE LOCAL PERFORMER: DRAG
First: Veronica Vixen
Second: Daphne Ferraro
Third: Kori Stevens

FAVORITE LOCAL PERFORMER: STAGE
First: Robert Rigsby
Second: Chris and Ryan Zubrick
Third: Matthew McGee

FAVORITE LOCAL PERFORMER: MUSICIAN
First: Jay Miah
Second: Divine AF
Third: Alyssa

FAVORITE LOCAL PERFORMER: DJ
First: DJ Ace Vedo
Second: DJ L Mo
Third: DJ Charles Machado

FAVORITE LOCAL TV NEWS PERSONALITY
First: Nick Merianos, Spectrum Bay News 9
Second: Trevor Pettiford, Spectrum Bay News 9
Third: Leigh Spann, WFLA

FAVORITE LOCAL RADIO SHOW
First: The Miguel & Holly Show, Hot 101.5
Second: Josh’s Big Gay Radio Show, 88.5 WMNF
Third: The Joe Show, 93.3 FLZ

FAVORITE LOCAL PERFORMING ARTS VENUE
First: Straz Center for the Performing Arts
Second: Ruth Eckerd Hall
Third: Duke Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater

FAVORITE LOCAL THEATRICAL SHOW
First: Zubrick Magic Theatre
Second: “Holiday Sparkle,” St. Petersburg Opera Company
Third: “At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen,” Urbanite Theatre

FAVORITE ADULT NOVELTY STORE
First: Bulge Apparel & Gifts
Second: XTC Adult Supercenter
Third: Todd Couples Superstore

FAVORITE LOCAL HIDDEN GEM
First: Lucky Star Lounge
Second: The Chattaway
Third: La France Ybor

More in News

See More