The Sizzle Awards Announces New and Expanded Categories for 2026
FRANKLIN, TN — December 30, 2025 — FranklinIs has opened business registration for the 19th Annual Sizzle Awards, the public-choice awards recognizing the best local businesses across Williamson County. Each year, the community votes in more than 100 categories, highlighting local favorites in dining, shopping, services, health, entertainment, and more.
For 2026, The Sizzle Awards are introducing new and expanded categories to better reflect how locals search for and support businesses throughout the county.
New Categories for 2026
- Best Event Planner
- Best Exterior Cleaning Service
- Best Food Truck
- Best Kids Activity/Playplace
- Best Local Entertainer
- Best Museum
- Best Podiatrist
- Best Skincare Studio
- Best Speech/Occupational Therapy Clinic
- Best Technology & IT Services
Expanded Categories for 2026
- Best Bar or Lounge has been split into Best Sports Bar and Best Cocktail Lounge
- Best Entertainment Activity has been split into Best Indoor Activity and Best Outdoor Activity
What the 2026 Category Updates Mean for Businesses and Locals
These new and expanded categories make The Sizzle Awards more specific and more useful.
For local businesses, added categories create clearer opportunities to be recognized for what a business does best. For businesses that don’t fit neatly into broader categories, the 2026 updates offer a better match.
For locals, the changes make voting easier and results more meaningful by separating categories that previously included very different types of experiences.
Overall, the updates help ensure The Sizzle Awards voting categories accurately reflect the local business landscape while reinforcing the FranklinIs Business Directory as a trusted, year-round resource for discovering businesses across Williamson County.
How to Register Your Business for The Sizzle Awards
Directory listings are open year-round, but businesses must be registered by January 31 to appear on the next Sizzle Awards ballot. Voting takes place in February, with winners announced in March.
How to register:
- Search the FranklinIs Business Directory. Your listing may already exist, and you can update it anytime.
- If needed, add your business: On FranklinIs.com, click Add Directory. Listings are typically reviewed and published within 24–36 hours.
About The Sizzle Awards
Since 2006, we have held a public vote each February, with over half a million votes cast in more than 100 categories. FranklinIs & The Sizzle Awards give the public a voice, the businesses an opportunity to promote themselves, and the community access to their choices of the best, FOR FREE!
The Sizzle Awards are Williamson County’s longest-running public-voted awards honoring the local businesses that residents rely on and recommend most. Spanning categories across dining, shopping, services, health and wellness, home, and more, the awards recognize businesses that are voted the best by the public.
Winners are recognized at The Sizzle Awards Winners Gala. After the Gala, the spotlight keeps shining with mass digital announcements, media coverage, social promotions, directory features, a year-round feature on FranklinIs, and community-wide exposure for us all to celebrate the winners. Each winner receives an Official Award and digital Logos to showcase that Williamson County voted them the BEST! Winners have the exclusive option to select additional Awards and Logos to display in their homes and offices.
More Information
To learn more about The Sizzle Awards 2026, explore The Sizzle Awards and Business Directory pages at Franklinis.com.
For media inquiries or registration support, contact the FranklinIs Sizzle Awards team at sizzleawards@franklinis.com.
