This year's finalists in the NEIGHBORS categories of FestivalSouth's 2020 Best of the Pine Belt competition, presented annually by Signature Magazine are:
Best Sharp-Dressed Man
Joshua Roberson • Terrance Bridges • Cory Ferraez • Daniel Purvis • Troy McIntyre • Michael Chance Barber
Best Stylish Woman
Rachel Waites • Susan Slaughter • Ali Mitchell • Heather Gingell • Leigh Ann Underwood • Katie Adams
Best Beard
Bradley Myers • Zac Blackwell • Cory Burks • Mike Rome • Alexander Ignatiev • Roy Windham
Best Buddies
Emma Fruit and Erica Tillman • Jamie Jordan and Jack Marshall • Codie Slocum and Josh Sullivan • Frances Lucas and Gracie Nichols • Daniel Firth and Shelby Kemp • Brad Weathers and Steve Pazos
Best Burlesque Performer
Amanda Robertson • Amanda Bennett • Whitney Miracle • Catherine Bass • Rebecca Chandler • Emma Fruit
Best Local Four-Legged Sidekick
Smellin’ Keller (Tia Moreno, owner) • Gobo (Greg Prine, owner) • Ringo Star (Brad Joyner, owner) • Biscuit the Cat (Codie Slocum, owner) • Poxy (Kimberly Paola, owner) • Milo (Samantha McCain, owner)
Best Local Fundraising Event
Junior Auxiliary of Hattiesburg’s Charity Ball • Empty Bowls, benefitting Edwards Street Food Pantry • The Children’s Center for Communication and Development’s Here We Grow • Laughs 4 Life • Casablanca Gala, presented by USM Partners for the Arts
Best Hattiesburger
Harry Goff • Ravic “Doc” Ringlaben • Leighton Miller • Abigail Lenz Allen • Erret James • Betsy Mercier
Best Local Illustrator
Kameron ‘Kalamity Kam’ Smith • Thomas Jackson • Heath Kleinke • Kristin ‘Kurky’ Taylor • Russ Farris • Kacey Holifield
Best Local Actor/Actress
Joseph Van Zandt • Mely Berdion • Lauren Cate Leake • Christy Liverett • Landon Morrow • Wes Hanson
Best Local Published Author
Robert St. John • Vicki Baylis • Andrew Weist • David McRaney • Dean Meador Smith • Josh Stricklin
Best Local Comic
Brittany Purvis • Jamie Arrington • J. Evan Curry • Joe Carlisle • Carolyn Lucas • Whodi
Best Local Instagrammer
@smellin_keller • @arielbarefoot • @jdavisislost • @southern_belly • @walkerphotoworks • @theluckyrabbit
Best Local Mixed Media Artist
Kyle Baughman • Anna Lauren Weeks • Gracie Nichols • Alex Ladner • David Halbert • Judy Schweitzer
Best Local Podcast
District Soundwave • A Paranormal Chicks • To The Top Talk • Organic Poison • The Everyday Eagles • Everything is OK
Best Local Theatre Production
The Nutcracker presented by South Mississippi Ballet Theatre • Sister Act presented by Hub City Players • Aladdin Jr. presented by Stagestruck Performance Studio • Return to the Forbidden Planet presented by HCLO • School of Rock presented by Center Stage • Peter and the Starcatcher presented by Oak Grove High School Theater
Best Local TV Personality
Karrie Leggett-Brown • Patrick Bigbie • Randy Swan • Rex Thompson • Nick Lilja • Jessica Bowman
Best Local Painter
Tasha Messer Williams • Jessie Wilcox • Lissa Ortego • Kym Garraway-Braley • Whit Ramsey • Andrea Kostyal
Best Local Sculptor
Vixon Sullivan • Erik Eaves • Jason Kimes • Ben Watts • Alex Townsend
Best Local Mover & Shaker
Whit Sanguinetti • Rebecca Chandler • Andrea Saffle • Allison Neville • Harry Goff • Don King
Most-Creative Hattiesburger
Sissy Hudson • Abigail Lenz Allen • Deanna Goude • Anna Lauren Weeks • Mike Lopinto • Brandon Thaxton
Most-Effective Non-Profit
Hub City Humane Society • Southern Pines Animal Shelter • The Children’s Center for Communication and Development • Homes of Hope for Children • Edwards Street Fellowship Center • Aids Services Coalition
Most-Immediately-Recognizable Local Brand/Logo
T-Bones Records and Cafe • Keg & Barrel • Southern Prohibition • Forrest General Hospital • The Shop Downtown • Laughs 4 Life
Most-Interesting Hattiesburger
Tyner Sullivan • Erik Lowery • Benny Hornsby • Ravic “Doc” Ringlaben • Chris Werle • Imani Steven
Best Local Neighborhood
Hattiesburg Historic Neighborhood • The Avenues • Bellegrass • Parkhaven • University Heights
Best Local Sports Photographer
Jesse Johnson • Van Tyner • Matt Bush • Chuck Cook • Pat Causey • Mark Magee
Best Local Squad
Hattiesburlesque Cast & Crew • The Shop Downtown Hooligans • The Herd of Slowboat • The Kegulars • Hub City Players
Person Whose Life Story You Would Most Like to see on the Big Screen
Abigail Lenz Allen • Pam & Sebastian Blanchard • Edyth Baer • Jackie Purvis • Mannie Anderson
Best Local Portrait Photographer
Danny Rawls • J. Lynne Imagery (Jessica Lynn Davis) • KD Yates Holman • Meredith Maloney • C Studio (Lee Cave)
Best Pine Belt Personality
Toby Barker • Chewy the Sloth • Rex McKrueger (Tim Bynum) • Sissy Hudson • Mark Mann • Joe Carlisle • Don King
Best Unsung Hero
Brenda Sumrall • James Moore • Whit Sanguinetti • Tiffany Moreno • Frances Lucas • Michael Dixon
Best Local Volunteer
Ellen Keever • Joy Pickering • Jennifer Lewis • Tyler Jackson • Shawn Harris • Dannell Roberts
Best Place of Worship
Venture Church • Temple Baptist Church • Sacred Heart Catholic Church • St. Fabian Catholic Church • Parkway Heights United Methodist Church • Ekklesia Hattiesburg
For a full list of this year's nominees, click on the following links:
MUSIC:
BUSINESS & SHOPPING:
NEIGHBORS:
FOOD:
TO CAST YOUR VOTE IN THIS YEAR'S BEST OF THE PINE BELT COMPETITION, CLICK HERE:
