Tampa Bay 2023 WAVE winners
FAVORITE LOCAL POLITICIAN
First: Tampa Mayor Jane Castor
Second: St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch
Third: State Rep. Michele Rayner
FAVORITE LOCAL ACTIVIST
First: Chris Gorman, Come OUT St. Pete
Second: Nadine Smith, Equality Florida
Third: Sister Agatha Frisky, Tampa Bay Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
GREATEST ALLY TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
First: Carol “Mama” Steen
Second: Jennie O’Leary, Equality Florida
Third: Faith Moeller, PFLAG Riverview
MOST EFFECTIVE LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
First: Metro Inclusive Health
Second: St Pete Pride
Third: Equality Florida
FAVORITE LOCAL TRANS-AFFIRMING ORGANIZATION
First: Metro Inclusive Health
Second: Come OUT St. Pete
Third: Diversity Arts
FAVORITE LOCAL SPORTS LEAGUE/ORGANIZATION
First: Tampa Bay Rays
Second: Suncoast Softball League
Third: Rainbow Sports League
FAVORITE LOCAL WRITER/JOURNALIST
First: Ryan Williams-Jent, Watermark
Second: Joshua Valdez, “Falling in Love in the Burg”
Third: Dave Borman, Tampa Bay Gay
FAVORITE LOCAL WEBSITE
First: ILoveTheBurg.com
Second: WatermarkOnline.com
Third: VisitTampaBay.com
FAVORITE LOCAL FUNDRAISING EVENT
First: St. Pete Gala, Equality Florida
Second: Red & Green Party, St Pete Pride
Third: Strike Out for AIDS, Empath Partners in Care
FAVORITE ANNUAL LOCAL LGBTQ EVENT
First: St Pete Pride
Second: Tampa Pride
Third: Come OUT St. Pete
FAVORITE LOCAL TRANS-AFFIRMING EVENT
First: TransPride March, St Pete Pride
Second: Trans Fashion & Health Expo, Metro Inclusive Health
Third: Tampa Bay Transgender Film Festival, TIGLFF
FAVORITE LOCAL LGBTQ YOUTH EVENT
First: CampOUT LGBTQ+ Youth Summer Camp, CampOUT
Second: LGBTQ+ Youth & Family Day, St Pete Pride
Third: LGBTQ+ Youth Summer Camp, Metro Inclusive Health
FAVORITE LOCAL BUSINESS NOT A BAR/CLUB
First: ZaZoo’d
Second: Bulge Apparel & Gifts
Third: Tyler’z Barbershop
FAVORITE NEW LOCAL BUSINESS
First: The Wet Spot Pool Bar and Day Club
Second: Salty Nun
Third: Zoie’s
FAVORITE LOCAL HEALTH CARE FACILITY
First: Metro Inclusive Health
Second: CAN Community Health
Third: Empath Partners in Care
FAVORITE LOCAL HAIR SALON / BARBER SHOP
First: Tyler’z Barbershop
Second: Sergeant Mike’s Getup
Third: Top Notch Barber Co.
FAVORITE LOCAL MAKEUP ARTIST
First: Jaeda Fuentes, Jaeda Fuentes Makeup
Second: Naomi Wright, Haute Coudoor
Third: Ian Glending, Freelance Makeup Artist
FAVORITE LOCAL FITNESS CENTER
First: The Body Electric Yoga Company
Second: Planet Fitness St. Petersburg
Third: Crunch Fitness St. Pete Northeast
FAVORITE LOCAL VETERINARIAN CLINIC
First: SPCA Tampa Bay
Second: Pet Pal Veterinary Clinic
Third: Banfield Pet Hospital St. Petersburg NE
FAVORITE PLACE TO PAMPER YOUR PET
First: The Dog Bar
Second: Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming St. Pete
Third: Bow Wow Barber
FAVORITE LOCAL REALTOR
First: Eric Wilson, The Wilson Group, Keller Williams Realty
Second: Caitlin Jones, Jones Home Team, Dalton Wade Real Estate Group
Third: Gabe Alves-Tomko, RE/MAX Metro Tampa Bay
FAVORITE LOCAL ATTORNEY
First: Bobby King, The King Law Firm, P.A.
Second: Lindsey Sheppy, GBY Law
Third: Ian Gómez, GBY Law
FAVORITE PLACE TO BUY A CAR
First: CarMax Tampa
Second: Tyrone Square Mazda
Third: AutoNation Ford St. Petersburg
FAVORITE LOCAL SHOPPING/ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT
First: The Grand Central District
Second: Ybor
Third: The Edge District
FAVORITE LOCAL CLOTHING STORE
First: Out of the Closet St. Petersburg
Second: Bulge Apparel & Gifts
Third: Atlas Body + Home
FAVORITE LOCAL GEEK SPOT
First: Mad Hatters Kava Bar
Second: Right Around the Corner Arcade Brewery
Third: Emerald City Comics
FAVORITE LOCAL TRANS-AFFIRMING SPACE
First: Metro Inclusive Health
Second: LGBTQ Resource Center, Gulfport Public Library
Third: MCC Tampa
FAVORTE FAITH-BASED ESTABLISHMENT
First: MCC Tampa
Second: King of Peace MCC
Third: Allendale UMC
FAVORITE LOCAL FLORIST
First: Absolutely Beautiful Florist & Flower Delivery
Second: Carter’s Florist & Greenhouses
Third: Delma’s, The Flower Booth
FAVORITE AREA MUSEUM
First: The Dali Museum
Second: Museum of Fine Arts, St. Pete
Third: Imagine Museum
FAVORITE LOCAL SPACE TO BUY ART
First: The Factory, St Pete
Second: Studios @ 5663
Third: Woodfield Fine Art
FAVORITE LOCAL HOTEL/B&B
First: Hollander Hotel
Second: Casa del Merman at GayStPete House
Third: The Birchwood
FAVORITE LOCAL ARTIST
First: Chad Mize
Second: David Rule
Third: John Gascot
FAVORITE LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER
First: Morgan Le Shade
Second: Dylan Todd
Third: Jamarcus Mosley
FAVORITE LOCAL RESTAURANT
First: Red Mesa Mercado
Second: Salty Nun
Third: Zoie’s
FAVORITE LOCAL BRUNCH SPOT
First: Hollander Hotel
Second: Salty Nun
Third: Zoie’s
FAVORITE LOCAL LATE NIGHT DINING
First: New York New York Pizza, Ybor
Second: Red Mesa Cantina
Third: Zoie’s
FAVORITE LOCAL UNIQUE DRINK/EAT/TREAT
First: The Chicken Coop, Zoie’s
Second: Old Testamint Holiday Cocktail, The Saint Speakeasy
Third: Tootie Fruitie Fully Topped Donut, Daddies Donuts and Delites
FAVORITE LOCAL CATERER
First: Memphis Style BBQ Co.
Second: Red Mesa Mercado
Third: The Stuffed Mushroom
FAVORITE LOCAL LGBTQ BAR/CLUB
First: Cocktail
Second: Enigma
Third: Bradley’s on 7th
FAVORITE LOCAL ALLIED BAR/CLUB
First: The Dog Bar
Second: The Saint Speakeasy
Third: Lost & Found Cocktail Lounge
FAVORITE LOCAL NON-ALCOHOLIC HANGOUT
First: Mad Hatters Kava Bar
Second: Black Crow Coffee Co.
Third: SpookEasy Lounge
FAVORITE HAPPY HOUR
First: Cocktail
Second: Enigma
Third: Quench Lounge
FAVORITE KARAOKE, TRIVIA OR BINGO NIGHT
First: Alexis De La Mer, Drag Queen Bingo at Quench Lounge
Second: KJ Brad Rox, Karaoke Live at Cocktail
Third: Miranda Marie Sugarbaker, Trivia Night at Zoie’s
FAVORITE LOCAL BARTENDER/SERVER
First: Sebastian Hathcock, Cocktail
Second: Kaitlyn Lampasso, Cocktail
Third: Nikos Daras, Quench Lounge
FAVORITE LOCAL PERFORMER: DRAG QUEEN
First: Adriana Sparkle
Second: Brianna Summers
Third: Crystal Reigns
FAVORITE LOCAL PERFORMER: DRAG KING
First: Apollo Infiniti
Second: Vyn Suazion
Third: Adam Cole
FAVORITE LOCAL PERFORMER: STAGE
First: Robert Rigsby
Second: Matthew McGee
Third: Spencer Meyers
FAVORITE LOCAL PERFORMER: MUSICIAN
First: Jay Miah
Second: Vyn Suazion
Third: Fatalya
FAVORITE LOCAL PERFORMER: DJ
First: DJ Ace Vedo
Second: DJ Mike Sklarz
Third: DJ Greg Anderson
FAVORITE LOCAL BREAKOUT PERFORMER
First: Aquariius
Second: KC Starrz
Third: Taniyah Iman
FAVORITE LOCAL TV/WEB PERSONALITY
First: Trevor Pettiford, Spectrum News 9
Second: Shawn Nikolas, Common Courtesy
Third: Greg Dee, ABC Action News
FAVORITE LOCAL RADIO SHOW/PODCAST
First: The Big Gay Radio Show, 88.5 WMNF
Second: MJ Morning Show, Q105
Third: The Scotty Show, Hot 101.5
FAVORITE LOCAL INFLUENCER
First: Chris Gibson (@ChrisGibsonLive)
Second: Angelique Young (@Angelique.YoungCavalier.9)
Third: Cam Parker (@PainkillerCamIsYourDaddy)
FAVORITE LOCAL PERFORMING ARTS VENUE
First: Straz Center for the Performing Arts
Second: Ruth Eckerd Hall
Third: American Stage
FAVORITE LOCAL THEATRICAL SHOW
First: “RENT,” Eight O’Clock Theatre
Second: Zubrick Magic Theatre
Third: “Footloose,” American Stage in the Park
FAVORITE ADULT NOVELTY STORE
First: Bulge Apparel & Gifts
Second: The Backroom by ZaZoo’d
Third: Todd Couples Superstore
FAVORITE LOCAL PLACE TO PLAY TOURIST
First: St. Pete Pier
Second: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Third: Tampa Riverwalk
FAVORITE LOCAL PLACE TO PAMPER YOURSELF
First: The Body Mechanic Massage Therapy St. Petersburg
Second: The Spa at Cortiva
Third: Sunshine City Massage
FAVORITE LOCAL HIDDEN GEM
First: The Event Space at Bulge
Second: The Big Catch at Salt Creek
Third: Pinellas Arts Village
