Monterey Bay Stars Awards
Celebrating the Best of Our Community

OFFICIAL RULES

What are the Monterey Bay Stars Awards?

The Monterey Bay Stars Awards, presented by WhatsUpMonterey, is an annual program that recognizes the extraordinary businesses, individuals, and organizations that make our community thrive. We invite everyone to participate and showcase the best of the Monterey Bay area.

Do I Need to Register?

Nomination surveys are anonymous and do not require registration. However, you are welcome to share your contact information to stay updated on the program and future awards. You can submit nominations in any category and revisit the survey to add more before the deadline.

Registration may be required for voting. More details will be provided closer to the voting period.

Can I Vote by Paper or in Person?

No. All nominations and voting are conducted through our website at WhatsUpMonterey.com/MontereyBayStarsAwards.

How Does Nominating Work?

We rely on our community to nominate outstanding businesses, individuals, and organizations across 80+ diverse categories. Once the nominees are finalized, the community votes for their favorites in each category. You can nominate and vote once per day.

We encourage nominations from residents, visitors, and stakeholders across diverse industries, showcasing the strength and diversity of our community.

• Nominate your favorites: Browse through the categories and choose the businesses, individuals, or organizations you believe deserve recognition.
• Provide supporting information (optional): Share additional details about your nominations to help with verification and voting.
• Return anytime before the deadline: You can revisit the nomination survey and add more nominations until July 31, 2024, at Midnight.

Businesses with multiple locations will appear as a single nomination unless otherwise specified.

Who Can be Nominated?

• Businesses, organizations, and individuals currently operating in the Monterey Bay area.
• Self-nominations are permitted.

What Happens After I Nominate?

Nominees will be verified, and those who qualify will appear on the final ballot. Businesses reaching the top positions may be contacted for additional information.

How are Votes Tabulated?

Votes are tabulated securely by a third-party vendor. We won't know the results until they are announced publicly.

• Competitive advertising is permitted. Businesses and individuals are encouraged to promote their nominations and encourage voting.
• Activities intended to manipulate the voting process are strictly prohibited. This includes using bots, scripts, vote exchange websites, or other unethical methods. Votes deemed suspicious will be disqualified.

When Will the 2024 Winners Be Announced?

Winners will be announced on Friday, December 8, 2024.

Questions About the Monterey Bay Stars Awards?

Contact us at [email protected].

These are the official rules. The Monterey Bay Stars Awards are proudly organized by WhatsUpMonterey.