Welcome to Best of Columbus, the city’s original reader-voted contest crowning our favorite people and places. In this year’s package, you’ll find the stories behind some of the local businesses readers selected as winners in our online poll. Columbus Monthly readers picked over 100 of their favorite places to eat and drink, shop and spend their time. Here are reader’s choices for the best in local people and personalities.
And here is the full list of Best of Columbus winners for 2025.
Best Blue Jackets Player
1 Zach Werenski
2 Boone Jenner
3 Elvis Merzļikins
Best Buckeyes Football Player
1 Jack Sawyer
2 Jeremiah Smith
3 Will Howard
Best Chef
1 Aaron Clouse, Littleton’s Market
2 Avishar Barua, Joya’s Café/Agni
3 Matthew Phelan, Novella Osteria
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Best Crew Player
1 Darlington Nagbe
2 Diego Rossi
3 Patrick Schulte
Best Female TV Anchor
1 Colleen Marshall, NBC4
2 Yolanda Harris, 10TV
3 Monica Day, NBC4
Best Male TV Anchor
1 Matt Barnes, NBC4
2 Kurt Ludlow, ABC6/FOX28
3 Jerod Smalley, NBC4
Best Radio Morning Show
1 Dave and Jimmy, 97.9 WNCI
2 Randi & Rice, Sunny 95
2 The Wake-Up Call, 92.3 WCOL
Best Radio Station
1 89.7 WOSU
2 97.1 the Fan
3 92.3 WCOL
3 Sunny 95 WSNY
Best Talk Radio Personality
1 Bobby Carpenter, 97.1 the Fan
2 Mike Ricordati “The Common Man,” 97.1 The Fan
3 Brian Phillips, Rewind 103.5/104.3 (no longer with station)
Best Weatherperson
1 Dave Mazza, NBC4
2 Andrew Buck Michael, ABC6/FOX28
2 Marshall McPeek, ABC6/FOX28
This story appears in the July 2025 issue of Columbus Monthly as part of the Best of Columbus package. Subscribe to Columbus Monthly here.
This article originally appeared on Columbus Monthly: Best of Columbus 2025: Reader Picks for Best People
Reporting by Columbus Monthly / Columbus Monthly
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
