Las Vegas Business Awards 2026: Nominations Are Open

2026 award categories: ideas, execution, revenue and jobs

Each award rewards something you can see and measure. Judges score every nomination against the published criteria below, so a short, specific nomination beats a long, vague one. “The last 12 months” means October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026.

The Big Idea Award: best business idea

For the most original, practical idea solving a real problem for local customers. Businesses at any stage can win, including brand-new launches that are not making money yet.

What judges look for:

• Originality (30 points). A fresh answer to a real problem, not a copy of what already exists.
• Real demand (30 points). Proof that people want it: sales, preorders, waitlists, or pilot customers.
• Room to grow (20 points). A model that can scale past one location or one founder.
• Local impact (20 points). A visible difference for the community it serves.

The Execution Award: best business execution

For the team that turned a plan into results. Think launches that shipped on time, customers who keep coming back, and operations that hold up under pressure.

What judges look for:

• Milestones hit (30 points). Openings, launches, new locations, or contracts won in the last 12 months.
• Customer results (30 points). Reviews, repeat business, and referrals.
• Systems that work (20 points). A business that runs without the owner doing everything.
• Grit (20 points). How the team handled a setback and kept moving.

The Fastest Revenue Growth Award: fastest revenue generation

For the business that grew revenue fastest. Judges compare revenue for the 12 months ending September 30, 2026, with the 12 months before. Businesses with less than two years of history can show how fast they hit revenue milestones instead, such as their first $100,000 in sales.

What judges look for:

• Growth rate (60 points). Percentage revenue growth, weighed against company size so a larger company can compete with a startup that tripled from a small base.
• Durability (20 points). Growth built on repeat customers and healthy margins, not a one-time windfall.
• Efficiency (20 points). Strong growth earned with lean resources.

Your numbers stay private. Shortlisted businesses verify revenue with a CPA letter, a tax filing summary, or a profit-and-loss report. Only the awards administrator and the judges scoring your nomination see them, and we never publish your revenue, payroll, or growth figures without your written permission.

The Best Jobs Award: best jobs created

For the employer creating the most good jobs, not just the most jobs. Judges look at the work people get to do and where it can take them.

What judges look for:

• Jobs created (30 points). Net new jobs in the last 12 months, relative to company size.
• Pay (25 points). Wages compared with similar local roles.
• Benefits and flexibility (15 points). Health coverage, paid time off, and schedules people can plan around.
• Growth paths (15 points). Training, certifications, and promotions from within.
• Local opportunity (15 points). Hiring locally, first jobs, and second chances.

That’s The Business of the Year

The top honor. Judges choose it from the category finalists: the business that best combines a great idea, sharp execution, fast revenue, and great jobs. You cannot nominate for this award directly. Every finalist is in the running.

How to nominate a business for the 2026 awards

1. Pick the business. Yours, or one you admire, anywhere in Southern Nevada, Southern California, or Northern Arizona.
2. Choose the categories that fit. One nomination can cover several awards.
3. Tell its story with specifics. What it does, what it achieved in the last 12 months, and who it employs.

Self-nominations are welcome. Judges score merit, not volume, so one strong nomination beats ten copies of a weak one. Finalists need a free listing on That’s The Business. If the business isn’t listed yet, you can add a free listing today.

Who can be nominated for the Las Vegas business awards?

Any business or nonprofit that meets these rules can win:

• It operates in one of our three regions. Southern Nevada (including Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, Summerlin, and the rest of Clark County), Southern California (including Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, and the Inland Empire), or Northern Arizona (including Flagstaff, Sedona, Prescott, Prescott Valley, and Kingman).
• It holds a current business license or registration where one is required.
• It has the history the award needs. The Big Idea Award is open at any stage. The Execution, Fastest Revenue Growth, and Best Jobs awards need at least 12 months of operation by November 30, 2026.
• It has no tie to the organizers or judges. That’s The Business, MCNM Marketing, and businesses owned by a judge, an MCNM Marketing employee, or an immediate family member of either cannot enter.

Full details, including how we handle verification and conflicts, are in the Official Rules for the 2026 That’s The Business Awards.

How are the winners chosen?

A panel of local business owners and community leaders scores every eligible nomination against the criteria above. Here’s how it works:

1. Screening. Judges start reviewing nominations as they arrive and finish screening right after the November 30 deadline.
2. Shortlist and verification. Shortlisted businesses answer a short questionnaire and privately verify key numbers by December 11.
3. Finalists. We announce the finalists on December 15, 2026.
4. Winners. We announce the category winners and That’s The Business of the Year on January 14, 2027.

Our fairness rules:

• Free to enter. Buying a listing, an ad, or an MCNM Marketing service never affects a score.
• Conflicts sit out. A judge with a business or family tie to a nominee does not score that nominee.
• Merit, not volume. Extra nominations for the same business do not raise its score.
• Private numbers stay private. Financial and payroll documents go only to the awards administrator and the judges scoring that nomination.

Transparency note: The That’s The Business Awards are run by That’s The Business, the business directory from MCNM Marketing. MCNM clients can enter and win. The judging panel may include MCNM Marketing staff, and no judge scores a business they have a client, business, or family tie to.

2026 awards timeline and key dates

Milestone	Date
Nominations open	October 4, 2026
Nominations close	November 30, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Pacific
Shortlist questionnaire and verification	December 1 to 11, 2026
Finalists announced	December 15, 2026
Winners announced	January 14, 2027

What do winners and finalists receive?

Recognition that keeps working for your business all year. Winners receive:

• An official 2026 winner badge for your website, storefront, and social media.
• A free year of Featured placement on That’s The Business, so your listing stands out on your category and city pages.
• A winner spotlight on That’s The Business that tells your story.
• A public announcement across That’s The Business and MCNM Marketing social channels, plus a press release to local media.

Finalists receive a 2026 finalist badge and a spot on the published finalists list, linked to their listing. Every nominee can share an official 2026 nominee badge. There is no cash prize.

Las Vegas business awards FAQ

How much does it cost to nominate a business?

Nothing. Nominating is free, and so is the That’s The Business listing that finalists need. No purchase is ever required, and buying an ad or a paid listing does not change a nominee’s score. One form can nominate a business in several categories.

Can I nominate my own business?

Yes. Judges score self-nominations exactly like nominations from customers, employees, or partners. Write it the way a judge wants to read it: specific milestones, real numbers, and the people behind the work. Estimates are fine at the nomination stage, and you can nominate other businesses too.

When do nominations close for the 2026 That’s The Business Awards?

Nominations close Monday, November 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Judges name the finalists on December 15, 2026, and the winners on January 14, 2027. Shortlisted businesses get a short follow-up questionnaire in early December, so watch your inbox.

Will my revenue numbers be made public?

No. Shortlisted businesses verify revenue with a CPA letter, a tax filing summary, or a profit-and-loss report. Only the awards administrator and the judges scoring your nomination see those documents. We never publish your revenue, payroll, or growth figures without your written permission.

Can businesses outside Las Vegas win?

Yes. Businesses in Southern Nevada, Southern California, and Northern Arizona are all eligible. That includes Henderson, Summerlin, and North Las Vegas, plus Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, the Inland Empire, Flagstaff, Sedona, Prescott, and Kingman. Every region competes in the same categories.