Thursday, October 1, 2026
We love Long Island because it offers the best of everything. And our local businesses have always embodied the best of what we are as Long Islanders—resilient, innovative, supportive of one another, committed to excellence. Now is your chance to show everyone just how much these local businesses mean to you, to your family, to all of us.
Richner Communications, Inc. and Herald Community Newspapers are proud to announce that the Long Island Choice Awards Presented by PSEG Long Island are officially open. Sure, the Olympics may have ended, but it’s time to let the real the games begin!
Recognizing exceptional local businesses throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties in 12 divisions and approximately 250 categories, the Long Island Choice Awards Presented by PSEG Long Island are all about celebrating excellence. From restaurants to home services, shopping to family attractions, entertainment to health and beauty and beyond, every selection is in the hands of the voting public.
So if you have a doctor who dazzles you, tell us. A landscaper you love? Let us know. A superlative steakhouse, an amazing auto dealer, a fabulous financial advisor, an awesome art gallery, the consummate cocktail…you get the picture. If they’re at the top of your list, here is the moment to tell the world.
“As we continue moving towards brighter days while still meeting all of the unanticipated challenges along the way, there is no more important time than right now to recognize and support the best businesses in our communities,” says Richner Communications and Long Island Herald CEO Stuart Richner. "Local businesses are the engines of our economy, and the Long Island Choice Awards Presented by PSEG Long Island will ensure that the entrepreneurs and mainstays of our communities receive the recognition that they deserve."
“Throughout the entire year, this will truly be a showcase of the best of everything that Long Island has to offer,” Richner continues. "Thank you to our sponsor, PSEG Long Island, for their continuing commitment to the incredible businesses and individuals that make our communities so special.”
“PSEG Long Island is thrilled to sponsor these awards because small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of Long Island’s economy, and they deserve to be recognized,” says Daniel Eichhorn, President and COO of PSEG Long Island. “We have introduced new rates, incentives and grants to help our local commercial districts flourish, both before and during the pandemic, and now it’s a privilege to get to see and celebrate the vibrancy of the businesses that makes every Long Island community special.”
From Oceanside to Orient Point, Rockville Centre to Riverhead, Manhasset to Montauk and everywhere in between, the Long Island Choice Awards are dedicated to shining a light on the very best in all our communities. Now, in case you haven’t already begun nominating your favorites, here’s a quick primer to help get you started.
HOW IT WORKS
Round 1: Nominations Round
JULY 28–AUGUST 20
Nominations can only be submitted online at LIChoiceAwards.com, so that’s where you’ll begin. It’s a quick and easy process to register and immediately start to nominate your favorite businesses for consideration in any and all of the listed categories. You may nominate in every category once per day, every day—the more you nominate, the better chance those businesses have to move on to the next round.
Here’s a little extra incentive for you: Once an individual enters nominations in more than 25 categories, they will be automatically entered into a sweepstakes for a chance to win a $500 gift card!
Round 2: Voting Round
OCTOBER 20–NOVEMBER 12
The Top Five nominees in each of the individual categories—based on the total number of nominations received during the Nominations Round—will move on to this Voting Round. In this round, members of the public will once again be invited to visit LIChoiceAwards.com, where they will find the official Long Island Choice Awards ballot, which will include the Top Five nominees in each category. Just like in the Nominations Round, you may vote in every single category once per day, every day.
Round 3: The Winners Are Announced
FEBRUARY 2022
The envelopes, please… Once all the votes are tallied by an independent third-party, it’s time for the Long Island Choice Awards Show! At this live gala event, the Top Three vote-getters in each category will be honored as Finalists, and the business receiving the most votes in each category will be crowned this year’s Long Island Choice Award Winner. All the finalists and winners will be featured in the glossy Long Island Choice Awards Winners Magazine, in addition to being showcased year-round in an all-new Long Island Choice Awards section of LIHerald.com.
So what are you waiting for? Go visit LIChoiceAwards.com right now and start nominating your choices for everything and everyone that make Long Island, well, simply the best.
