Excitement is building across the Oberon region as the countdown begins to the 2026 Oberon Business Awards, with community support reaching record levels and finalists now announced in the highly anticipated People’s Choice categories.
This year’s awards have once again demonstrated the strength of Oberon’s business community, attracting more than 400 nominations across ten award categories. Remarkably, almost half of those nominations were received in the three People’s Choice categories alone, highlighting just how passionate locals are about recognising outstanding customer service and local businesses.
When public voting opened, the response was immediate, with more than 1,500 votes cast in the first 24 hours. By the close of voting, an impressive 2,018 votes had been received. The closest contest proved to be the Service with a Smile award, where just two votes separated first and second place after an incredible 934 votes were cast. The Favourite Hospitality Venue category attracted 563 votes, while Favourite Tradie received 521 votes, with the winner securing victory by a margin of 26 votes.
“The response from our community has been incredible,” Oberon Business and Tourism Association President Tatiana Coulter said. “Receiving more than 400 nominations and over 2,000 People’s Choice votes shows just how passionate our community is about supporting local businesses. Every nomination and every vote is a celebration of the people who work hard every day to make Oberon such a wonderful place to live, work and visit.”
The People’s Choice finalists showcase the diversity and quality of businesses that make Oberon such a welcoming place to live, work and visit.
In the Favourite Hospitality Venue category, congratulations go to Café Oberon, Long Arm Corner Store, Pick of the Bunch, Royal Hotel Oberon and The Milbrey.
The Favourite Tradie finalists are Billy Walsh from Walsh & Sons Concreting, Cleanthi McGrath Hairdressing, Dwyer Constructions, Hayley Byrom from Oberon Skin and Beauty Clinic, Nicko from Wills Tyres and Zane Wilkinson from Red Dog Plumbing.
The finalists for Service with a Smile are Ashleigh Hotham from Columbia Aged Care, Dallas Booth from Elders Emms Mooney, Hayley Byrom from Oberon Skin and Beauty Clinic, Heidi Ballas from IGA, Lisa Richards from Seasonal Threads, Michael from MTW Live Music, Olivia Martin from King of Kebabs, Shaqyra Quinn from Oberon Medical Centre, Tatiana from IGA and Wayne Barker from Barkers Butchery.
Judging is continuing across the remaining business categories, with three independent judges from outside the Oberon Local Government Area carefully assessing entries. Each judge is required to declare any conflicts of interest and sign confidentiality agreements, ensuring the process remains fair, transparent and impartial. Finalists in the remaining business categories will be announced in early August.
The celebrations will culminate on Friday, 4 September, when the Oberon Business Awards Dinner returns to Oberon RSL from 6pm. Guests will enjoy a delicious dinner, celebrate the achievements of local businesses and be entertained by popular local band Time to be Frank.
Everyone is welcome to attend, whether you’re a finalist, supporting a local business or simply keen to celebrate everything that makes Oberon such a vibrant community. With last year’s event selling out, organisers are encouraging people to secure their tickets early and join what promises to be one of the biggest nights on the Oberon calendar.
