New for 2025

For 2025, the Best of Western Illinois contest has been streamlined to better reflect the community’s interests and engagement. We’ve reduced the number of categories, focusing on those that received the highest number of nominations and votes in previous years. This change allows us to highlight the businesses and services that earned top nominations, while making the voting process simplified, and more impactful. Coming later this year, we’re excited to announce a special contest dedicated entirely to restaurants in the Western Illinois area—giving food lovers a chance to recognize their favorite local dining spots!