2026 Best in Kentucky finalists
The 2026 Best in Kentucky finalists are here!
Get ready to cast your vote starting May 1 and help us celebrate the very best our state has to offer.
Congratulations to all of this year’s outstanding finalists!
Local Radio Host
- Cale Tharp WLCB 93.7, Hodgenville
- Larry Smith WVLC 99.9, Campbellsville
- Terry Meiners WHAS 840, Louisville
Local TV Personality
- Candyce Clifft WDRB, Louisville
- Dawne Gee WAVE, Louisville
- Railfan Micah Turner, YouTube
Meteorologist
- Kevin Harned WAVE, Louisville
- Marc Weinberg WDRB, Louisville
- Jude Redfield WDRB, Louisville
Kentucky Musician or Band
- Tyler Childers Nashville, Tennessee (from Lawrence Co.)
- The Green River Band Columbia
- JD Shelburne Nashville, Tennessee (from Taylorsville)
Athlete
- Trent Noah Harlan
- Otega Oweh Lexington (from New Jersey)
- Malachi Moreno Georgetown
Road Trip
- Land Between the Lakes Golden Pond
- Mammoth Cave National Park Mammoth Cave
- Red River Gorge Geological Area Stanton
Distillery Tour
- Buffalo Trace Distillery Frankfort
- Maker’s Mark Distillery Loretto
- Heaven Hill Springs Distillery Bardstown
Event or Festival
- Lincoln Days Celebration Hodgenville
- Campbellsville Fourth of July Celebration
- Marion County Country Ham Days Lebanon
Agritourism Attraction
- Gallrein Farms Shelbyville
- Dennison’s Roadside Market Horse Cave
- Blackacre Nature Preserve & Historic Homestead Louisville
Place for Live Music
- Renfro Valley Entertainment Center Mount Vernon
- Joel Ray’s Lincoln Jamboree Hodgenville
- The AMP at Log Still Gethsemane
Museum
- Frazier Kentucky History Museum Louisville
- Creation Museum Petersburg
- Lincoln Museum Hodgenville
Kid-Friendly Attraction
- Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo Horse Cave
- Ark Encounter Williamstown
- Louisville Zoo Louisville
Winery
- McIntyre & Family Winery Bardstown
- Purple Toad Winery Paducah
- Happy Jack’s Winery Hardinsburg
Historic Attraction
- My Old Kentucky Home State Park Bardstown
- Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill Harrodsburg
- Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park Hodgenville
Specialty Lodging or Bed & Breakfast
- Restin’ Holes Willisburg
- L&N Bed and Breakfast Henderson
- My Old Kentucky Dome Mt. Washington
Downtown Shopping District
Camping or RV Spot
- Lincoln Lodge Hodgenville
- Green River Lake State Park Campbellsville
- John James Audubon State Park Henderson
Place for Adventure
- Red River Gorge Geological Area Stanton
- Mammoth Cave National Park Mammoth Cave
- Bernheim Forest and Arboretum Clermont
Hiking Trail
- Bernheim Forest and Arboretum Clermont
- Red River Gorge Geological Area Stanton
- Mammoth Cave National Park Mammoth Cave
Public Hunting/Fishing Area
- Cave Run Lake Morehead
- Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area Golden Pond
- Taylorsville Lake
Water Tourism Spot
- Green River Lake
- Lake Cumberland
- Cave Run Lake Morehead
Breakfast Place
- Pat’s Place Bardstown
- Carriss’s Grocery Shelbyville
- Druther’s Restaurant Campbellsville
Bourbon
- Maker’s Mark Loretto
- Elijah Craig Bardstown
- Inclusion Brand Crestwood
Barbecue
- Brothers Campbellsville
- B&N Food Market Bagdad
- Thatcher Barbecue Company Slade
Craft Beer
- Country Boy Brewing Georgetown & Lexington
- Henderson Brewing Co. Henderson
- Good Buddies Brewing Co. Lebanon
Hamburger
- Laha’s Red Castle Hodgenville
- Bardstown Burger Bardstown
- B&N Food Market Bagdad
Down-Home Restaurant
- Lighthouse Restaurant Sulphur Well
- Mammy’s Kitchen & Bar Bardstown
- Our Best Restaurant Smithfield
Coffee Shop
- Vibe Coffee Elizabethtown & Hodgenville
- The Hive Coffee & Bakehouse Glasgow
- Harden Coffee Campbellsville
Sweets Shop
- Serendipity Kandy Kitchen Shelbyville
- The Sweet Shoppe and Dessert Cafe Hodgenville
- Hadorn’s Bakery Bardstown
Food Truck
- The 5,000 Campbellsville
- Matilda’s Dogs and More Sonora
- Pappy‘s Campbellsville
