Ararat Rural City Council is encouraging residents to throw their support behind their favourite local businesses by casting their votes in the 2026 People’s Choice Awards.
As a key category of the annual East Grampians Business Awards, the People’s Choice Award is the only award entirely decided by community votes.
The voting process is simple and takes less than 5 minutes to complete. Residents can access the voting form via Council’s website and nominate three businesses in order of their favourites.
The business with the highest number of votes will be crowned the winner of People’s Choice Award for 2026 and receive an advertising package from Ace Radio and The Weekly Advertiser valued at $2,000 to be used across various media opportunities including print advertising and local radio.
Ararat Rural City Council Mayor, Cr Bob Sanders, highlighted the awards as a standout event on the local calendar that celebrates the region’s diverse business sector.
“The People’s Choice Award is such a great way for everyone to get behind our local business owners by voting online for their top three favourites,” Mayor Bob Sanders said. “It really gives the winner a huge boost with a fantastic advertising package to help get their name out there.”
“Community participation really matters because when we support our local shops and services, we help to create jobs and keeps our whole community thriving. This is your chance to shout out the hard work, dedication, and great service our local businesses bring to the municipality every day.”
Run by Ararat Rural City Council in partnership with Ace Radio and The Weekly Advertiser,Community members can vote for any business, large or small, CBD or rural, operating within Ararat Rural City.
Voting closes on 30 September 2026. To cast your vote for your favourite Ararat Rural City businesses, visit www.ararat.vic.gov.au/awards2026
