Editorial: Who will you nominate for People of the Year?

There are few bigger thrills for us as a media organization than our annual People of the Year awards. The winners’ stories of community service, dedication and perseverance are always inspirational.

Choosing the recipients is a painstaking process. It takes several months to compile all the information on the worthy nominees and then narrow it down to just a handful of winners from among them. But the effort pays off every time when we see their genuine thanks and joy at being honored.

People of the Year is a tradition that dates back more than three decades — one that has grown in recent years. 

As we reach mid-October, it’s time to start thinking about deserving candidates for this year’s awards. And once again, we’re asking the community for help in identifying nominees.

With their nominations, our readers have always played perhaps the most important role in the selection process.

In January, we’ll name an educator, businessperson, community leader and overall person of the year. In addition, we’ll honor someone working in the local food, wine, hospitality, entertainment or agricultural industry with our northforker of the year designation.

Historically, our winners represent a wide range of the communities we cover, and last year we honored health care providers battling COVID-19, a social activist calling for equality, a church leader and business people adjusting to challenging times, among others.

We realize there are a great many people doing big things in their community who don’t seek the spotlight. As a result, the work they do goes largely unheralded. These are the folks we’re talking about. Do you know such a person? Tell us about them.

Nominations can be sent to content director Grant Parpan at P.O. Box 1500, Mattituck, NY 11952. Or you can email him at [email protected].

We will accept nominations through Wednesday, Nov. 17.

Tell us why the person or group you are nominating deserves recognition — and please be sure to include your phone number and email so we can follow up.