Great Work Deserves to Be Recognized.
Washington Choice Awards was created to celebrate the businesses, organizations, and people who make our communities better.
From the local favorite everyone recommends to the hidden gem more people need to discover, we believe great work deserves more opportunities to be seen.
There’s a Lot Worth Celebrating in Washington.
Every community has them.
The contractor whose name gets passed from neighbor to neighbor. The restaurant you bring out-of-town friends to. The small business owner who remembers your name. The nonprofit quietly doing incredible work. The new business that makes you wonder, “Where did these guys come from?”
These businesses and organizations don't always have the biggest advertising budgets or the most recognizable names.
But people notice when they do great work.Washington Choice Awards was created to give those people another way to say: “These folks deserve some recognition.”
Help Great Washington Businesses Get Noticed.
Our mission is simple: discover, recognize, and celebrate outstanding businesses and organizations throughout Washington State.
We want to shine a light on the people doing exceptional work, help Washington residents discover businesses worth supporting, and give deserving organizations recognition they can be proud of.
Because when good businesses thrive, the communities around them benefit too.
What Recognition Should Look Like.
- 01
Earned, Not Purchased
Recognition should be based on merit—not on who is willing to pay for it.
Businesses do not pay to be nominated, considered, selected, or recognized as Washington Choice Award recipients.
- 02
Local Matters
Washington isn't just a collection of businesses. It's a collection of communities.
We believe locally owned businesses, independent professionals, nonprofits, tradespeople, makers, and community organizations deserve opportunities to be recognized for the value they create.
- 03
Excellence Looks Different
There isn't one definition of a great business.
One organization may stand out because of extraordinary craftsmanship. Another may be known for taking incredible care of its customers. Another might make an enormous difference in its community.
Our awards are designed to recognize those different forms of excellence.
- 04
Small Doesn't Mean Insignificant
Some of the most remarkable businesses are the ones you've never heard of.
We want established community favorites—but we're equally interested in discovering the little-known businesses people can't stop recommending.
- 05
Transparency Builds Trust
We believe recipients should be able to understand what they're being recognized for.
That's why we publish information about our nomination, review, conflict-of-interest, and selection processes.
This Is Where It Starts.
2026 marks the inaugural year of Washington Choice Awards.
That means we don't have decades of past recipients or thousands of nominations to point to yet.
We're building something new.
We're starting by listening to communities, accepting nominations, researching outstanding organizations, and developing a recognition program that can grow throughout Washington in the years ahead.
Someday, we hope to look back at our first class of recipients as the businesses and organizations that helped start something special.
Explore the 2026 Awards
Who Operates Washington Choice Awards?
Washington Choice Awards is an independent recognition initiative operated by FizzBuzz Web Studios LLC, a Washington-based company and the team behind Rising Tide Web Design.
Our background working with small businesses helped inspire a simple observation: there are a lot of people doing excellent work who deserve more recognition.
Washington Choice Awards was created to help provide it.
Relationships Don't Guarantee Recognition
Clients, partners, friends, and organizations connected to our team may be nominated, but those relationships must be disclosed and are subject to our conflict-of-interest policies.
Awards Cannot Be Purchased
Recognition is based on the strength of the nominee and the criteria of the award—not on whether an organization has a business relationship with our team.
Recognition Worth Sharing
Our goal is to build recognition that recipients are genuinely proud to earn and comfortable sharing with their customers and communities.
Read Our Selection ProcessWho Deserves Some Recognition?
Great businesses often grow because someone decided to tell another person about them. This is another way to do exactly that. Tell us about a Washington business, nonprofit, entrepreneur, or organization you think deserves to be recognized.
Nominate a Business