Rules & Contest Info - 2026 Best of Round Rock

 

Rules and Contest Information
Last updated: August 2026

Purpose
The Best of Round Rock Awards celebrate the local businesses, organizations, and people who make Round Rock a great place to live. Our goal is to build awareness for local small businesses and to keep the competition fun and fair for everyone taking part.

Key Dates

  • Nominations open to everyone: Thursday, October 1, 2026
  • Nominations close: Sunday, October 25, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Central
  • Dark Voting (standings hidden for the final week): Monday, October 26 through Saturday, October 31
  • Voting closes: Saturday, October 31, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Central
  • Winners announced: Wednesday, November 4, 2026

Voting opens on the first day of nominations. Once nominations close on October 25, voting continues through October 31.

Weekly Rock subscribers can nominate and vote two days early. Subscribing is free. Subscribers receive the early access link in The Weekly Rock.

Categories
The category and subcategory list is set before nominations open and will not change during the awards.

Wild Card

  • Wild Card is for nominees that do not fit any other category. If a Wild Card nomination fits an existing category, we will move it there when we approve it.
  • A nominee approved in Wild Card appears in Wild Card only, and is not listed in other categories.
  • Wild Card nominees must meet the same eligibility requirements as every other nominee.
  • First, second, and third place are recognized in Wild Card, the same as any other category.

Who Can Nominate

Anyone may submit a nomination. There is no limit on how many businesses you may nominate, and no limit on how many times a business may be nominated.

How Nominations Work

  • Nominations are submitted at bestofroundrocktx.com and reviewed by Round the Rock before they appear on the ballot.
  • When a nomination is approved, it counts as that nominee's first vote in that subcategory. A business is approved once per subcategory, and every other nomination for that business in the same subcategory is counted as a vote, whether it arrived before or after the approval.
  • Where we have contact information, we will let the business know it has been nominated and invite it to claim its profile.
  • Nominating a business does not guarantee it will appear on the ballot. Nominees must meet the eligibility requirements below.
  • A business or individual that does not want to be included can email us and we will remove them from the ballot.

Nominee Eligibility

  • Nominees must have a location in, or serve, ZIP codes 78664, 78665, or 78681.
  • We also accept service businesses and individuals who travel to the Round Rock area from directly adjacent cities (Austin, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Hutto, Leander, and Pflugerville) when their business information clearly lists Round Rock as a prominent service area.
  • Eligibility is verified using the business license database, social media presence, and official websites.
  • 6 Pack Media LLC, its brands (Round the Rock and R We There Yet Mom), its staff and their immediate families, and organizations sponsoring the 2026 Best of Round Rock Awards are not eligible for nomination.
  • Businesses that purchase advertising in the awards remain eligible. Advertising has no bearing on results, as set out below.
  • Round the Rock makes all final decisions on nominee eligibility.

Subcategory Limit

  • A business may appear in up to five subcategories.
  • Subcategories are approved in the order nominations are received.
  • Once a business reaches five approved subcategories, additional nominations for that business will not be approved.
  • Because an approved nomination carries a vote, approved subcategories cannot be changed or swapped afterward.
  • Where we have contact information, we will let a business know when it reaches five subcategories. We are not able to reach every nominee, so the five approved subcategories stand either way.

Voting

  • Voting requires a free account on bestofroundrocktx.com. You can create one with an email address, Google, or Facebook.
  • If you voted in a previous year, your existing login still works. You do not need to create a new one.
  • You must be 13 or older to create an account and vote.
  • One account per person. Additional accounts created to cast extra votes will be removed along with their votes.
  • Each person may vote once per subcategory.
  • Votes must be cast on the site. Votes submitted any other way will not be counted.

The Final Week of Voting
Beginning Monday, October 26, standings are hidden for the last week of voting, aka Dark Voting. Nominees appear in alphabetical order within each category, and current placements are not shown. Voting continues as normal through October 31. Results are announced on November 4.

Fair Play and Security

  • Every vote is screened by IP address, device, and additional fraud detection built into the platform.
  • Votes identified as fraudulent, automated, or the result of ballot stuffing will be removed.
  • If we determine a business is stuffing ballots or working around our security measures, its votes will be flagged and removed.

Conduct and Disqualification

  • A business that violates these rules will receive a written warning.
  • Round the Rock reserves the right to disqualify any business for repeated or serious violations, including misuse of Best of Round Rock marketing materials or logos.

Advertising Does Not Affect Results
Advertising and sponsorship of the Best of Round Rock Awards have no bearing on nominations, voting, or results. Community votes determine placements.

Ties
If two or more businesses finish with the same number of votes, they share the placement and are both recognized.

Results

  • First, second, and third place are recognized in each category.
  • Individual vote counts are not published.
  • Winners are announced at bestofroundrocktx.com on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
  • Winners receive an email after the announcement with everything included in their winners package.

Use of the Winner Logo
Businesses recognized in the 2026 awards may use the 2026 Best of Round Rock logo in their own marketing, identified by the year they earned it. The logo may not be used by businesses that were nominated but not recognized, and may not be altered. Misuse is grounds for removal from future awards.

Use of Name and Likeness
By taking part in the Best of Round Rock Awards, you give Round the Rock permission to use your business name, likeness, and image in marketing and promotional materials related to the awards.

Your Information

Nominating, voting, and claiming a profile require a name and email address. Round the Rock may use that information to contact you about the Best of Round Rock Awards. In years where an organization sponsors the awards, the contact information you provide may be shared with that sponsor, and you can ask us to leave you out. See our Privacy Policy for details.

Changes to These Rules
Round the Rock may update these rules. The version posted on this page is the one that applies.

Questions
Email us at [email protected], and we will get back to you.