This year, we’re celebrating our 35th anniversary of Best of Cape Cod & the Islands Readers’ Choice Awards, the longest running “Best of” contest in the region. And while others have popped up, we’re dedicated to our awards remaining completely reader driven—that means YOU get to decide, we just simply tally the votes. And while the process can be extensive—and our team finds themselves knee-deep in Excel spreadsheets, double, then triple checking our calculations, proofing to make sure we have everything correct from business names to town and region—we take the assignment very seriously.

When the idea of a “Best of” survey driven by readers was sparked by our founder Brian Shortsleeve in 1992, he and the team mailed 5,000 ballets to our subscribers to vote for their favorites across the Cape & Islands in 17 categories. The winners were then announced and proudly displayed in the pages of our June/July issue of Cape Cod LIFE. And while we might have gone digital with our write-in survey and have grown to over 60 categories across six regions, the intent remains the same; showcasing the very best of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket so locals, summer residents and visitors alike have a guide to the small businesses that are the heart of the region.

Historically, tens of thousands of you cast your votes in our readers’ survey every year or enter your photos in our Annual Photo Contest, anxiously awaiting the arrival of our annual “Best of” June issue—the most sought-after issue of Cape Cod LIFE. On newsstands for a full year, our “Best of” and Annual Photo Contest winners are prominently displayed within its pages and for many, our June issue serves as a memento of their time on Cape Cod & the Islands, and in this our 35th year, a piece of Cape Cod Life history. With 827 gold and silver winners—in some categories we’ve had since 1992 like “Best Lobster Roll” and “Best Beaches”—we hope you take the time try a few newer businesses that have made their mark this year and revisit some tried-and-true favorites.

Whether you’re a first-time reader, or have been with us since 1979, we want to thank you for helping us to continue celebrating the best and allowing us to share our love for the Cape & Islands in every issue.

Happy exploring!

Christina Galt

Digital Editor, Cape Cod Life Publications

P.S. don’t forget to vote for our 2026 Readers’ Choice Photo award!

Thank you to our 2026 “Best of” Presenting Sponsor, the Cape & Coast Bank, and our 2026 Photo Contest Prize Sponsor Cape Cod Photo, Art & Framing.