My, how time flies. 

We created the Hammy Awards three years ago with modest expectations of a fun contest that would bring much-deserved recognition to Isle of Wight and Surry businesses that had been battered by economic restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Little did we know that the Hammys would take on a life of their own. Nominations for the fourth rendition of our readers-choice awards will wrap up later this week, which means it’s not too late to have a say on the people, businesses, places and institutions that make our summer ballot.

Enter your nominations in more than 100 categories by midnight Friday at www.smithfieldtimes.com/contests/2024-hammy-awards/

Have a favorite teacher, pastor or nurse? How about a favorite real estate agent, insurance agent or financial adviser? Does your family have a favorite restaurant? Or a favorite dish at one of those restaurants? Let us know by making a nomination. 

As our community and economy continue to recover from COVID and deal with new challenges such as the extended closure of the Cypress Creek Bridge on Church Street, this is an especially good time to celebrate all that’s right about Smithfield, Isle of Wight and Surry. The Hammys are designed to do just that, culminating with a grand announcement of the winners in September after summer voting on the nominees you’ve selected.

It’s simple to nominate. Start by visiting the link above and typing in the name of the first business you’d like to nominate under the “Who would you like to nominate” section. Then register your information under “Tell us about yourself”. Complete the two questions below and then make the category and subcategory selections that you’d like to nominate the business for.

Nominating a person or an event? Simply type the name of the person or event you’d like to nominate in the first line, hit the return button to clear the auto-populate then continue on to fill out your registration information and make your nomination selections. You do not have to have an address in the address fields to make a nomination. However, you must register and verify your email address for your nomination to count. Return to nominate once per day in each category. Readers who make nominations in at least 50 categories will go in a drawing for a $25 prize.

Once the nominations are tabulated, the top nominees in each category will advance to the voting round, set to start in July.

Winners will be recognized in a special print and online section after the voting round has ended and the votes have been tallied and verified.

The Hammys are a celebration of the best our community has to offer and, in their fourth year, what we hope is a net tradition to honor the people, organizations and businesses that make Isle of Wight and Surry unique. 

Spread the news and spread some love. Tell your family and friends to nominate their favorites.