About the Upstate Excellence Awards
A community-driven celebration of the small businesses that make Upstate South Carolina a great place to live, work, and shop.
Our mission
The Upstate is full of remarkable businesses — the coffee shops we start our mornings in, the mechanics we trust, the restaurants we bring family to. The Upstate Excellence Awards exist to recognize them, voted on by the people who know them best: their neighbors and customers.
How it works
- Nominations. Anyone in the community can nominate a business across dozens of categories.
- Finalists. Our team reviews nominations and confirms the finalists in each category.
- Voting. Finalists go to a public vote. Each person gets one verified ballot per category.
- Winners. The most-voted business in each category is named the winner and receives the official Upstate Excellence seal to display online and in their window.
Keeping it fair
Every vote is confirmed by email, and we limit one ballot per person per category. We actively monitor for fraudulent or automated voting. Our full official rules explain the details.
For business owners
Winning an Upstate Excellence Award is a powerful, locally trusted signal. Winners get a digital badge, a profile in our winners showcase, and recognition across the Upstate. The program is run by NetSoloWeb.