Voting – How it Works

Once nominations are in, we’ll verify the votes, and then it’s time to Coast Your Vote and help choose this year’s People’s Choice!

Voting is split into four separate two-week rounds, each focused on one of the main categories:
Retail · Health, Wellness & Lifestyle · Services · Food & Drink

To keep things fair, only one category is open at a time, so each nominee has the same window of opportunity to receive votes.

• All voting takes place online through the Coast Reporter’s website. Links to each ballot and the voting companion – which includes links to each nominee’s webpage will be available on this page.
• The top 3 businesses in each subcategory will be recognized as the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place favourites of the 2025 Sunshine Coast People’s Choice Awards.

Nominated businesses will be notified by email one week before their voting round begins – so they have time to spread the word and encourage community support! Please note: We do our best to notify all businesses who are on the ballot, but we don’t always have access to everyone’s contact information. If you’re unsure whether your business was nominated, please check the full list under the “Explore This Year’s Nominees” section below.

Summer Voting Schedule:

Ballot 1 RETAIL

• Opens: Friday, July 4 at 10:00 AM
• Closes: Thursday, July 17 at 11:59 PM

Ballot 2 HEALTH, WELLNESS & LIFESTYLE

• Opens: Friday, July 18 at 10:00 AM
• Closes: Thursday, July 31 at 11:59 PM

Ballot 3 SERVICES

• Opens: Friday, August 1 at 10:00 AM
• Closes: Thursday, August 14 at 11:59 PM

Ballot 4 ‘FOOD & DRINK’

• Opens: Friday, August 15 at 10:00 AM
• Closes: Thursday, August 28 at 11:59 PM

Finalists will be notified via email by mid-September, and official results will be announced on October 17, 2025, both in a special Coast Reporter feature and right here on the Chamber’s People’s Choice Awards webpage.

Download the PDF version of ‘HOW IT WORKS 2025 Sunshine Coast People’s Choice Awards’

Want to know when voting opens, or find out if you’re one of the People’s Choice favourites? Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop!

Get Involved and Promote Your Business!

Every year, we create and update a digital marketing kit packed with graphic assets to help you promote your local business. Use these resources to encourage your customers to nominate and vote for your business for the People’s Choice Award. You can download this kit in bulk from our Google Drive link.

Explore This Year’s Nominees for the 2025 People’s Choice Awards

Use this comprehensive directory throughout the summer as a ‘places-to-try’ and ‘services-to-use’ list as you prepare to vote for all your favourite local businesses! Category ballots will be uploaded here 1-week before their voting date begins (see above for voting dates).

2025 Retail Ballot

Nominations – How it Works

The 2025 People’s Choice Awards kick off with nominations, running from Thursday, May 1 to Thursday, May 15, 2025.

This isn’t voting just yet – it’s your chance to nominate your favourite local businesses (or your own!) to be included on the official summer voting ballot. Think of it as the shortlisting round!

There are 131 subcategories within four main categories:

Retail · Health, Wellness & Lifestyle · Services · Food & Drink

How to Nominate:

To get started, just scroll down and click the ‘It’s Time to Nominate’ buttons below.”

✔️ You can nominate in one, some, or all subcategories.

✔️ One nomination per subcategory.

✔️ Organizations must offer a category-appropriate product or service.

✔️ Online-only organizations are not eligible. However, all nominated businesses must have an easily searchable online presence (e.g., website, social media, or online directory).

✔️ Don’t see a business listed? There’s a space to write it in!

✔️ See a business that is no longer operating, a spelling mistake, or have a question? Email info@sunshinecoastchamber.ca

To Qualify for the Voting Round:

• Each subcategory must receive a minimum of 3 nominees.
• A maximum of 10 businesses will move forward in each sub-category – if more than 10 are nominated, the top 10 most-nominated will advance.
• Nominated businesses will be notified by email one week before voting begins in their category.

Want to be the first to know when nominations open? Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop!

Businesses! Download your nomination marketing kit here to spread the word and encourage community support!

Become a Sponsor of the People’s Choice Awards!

The Sunshine Coast People’s Choice Awards have succeeded in capturing the attention of Sunshine Coast residents and business owners alike.

In 2024, over 6700 participants voted for over 775 local businesses across 131 different categories, and 1st place favourites received their awards at a sold out gala event at the Gibsons Public Market. The positive response for this campaign has exceeded our expectations, and we are proud to have come together to create a new way to celebrate the unique, vibrant and resilient local business community that plays a vital role in making the Sunshine Coast such a special place.

This year we will have a two week community-driven nomination period during the month of May, an 8-week summer voting period accompanied by an exciting ‘Coast your Vote’ marketing campaign, and winners will be presented their locally made awards at gala event to be held in late October.

Interested in learning more about becoming a sponsor? Contact Us or check out the Sponsorship Package for more information.

Explore Last Year’s Favourites

Congrats to all the 2024 People’s Choice Award winners, finalists, and nominees!

From local eats to essential services, last year’s favourites reflect the favourites of our Sunshine Coast business community.

Explore the full list, download the Coast Reporter special edition, and view gala photos on our new People’s Choice Awards Archive Page.

Let’s keep celebrating and supporting the incredible local businesses that make the coast one-of-a-kind.

Photo: SCPCA’s Gala 2023,
Bronwyn Beairsto, Coast Reporter Editor

Photo: SCPCA’s Gala 2022, 
Dave Moorman Photography