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2017 RAMMY Awards Call for Nominations

February 3, 2017 - 11:00am

NOMINATIONS ACCEPTED: January 2, 2017 through February 3, 2017

Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) is pleased to announce that nominations for the 2017 RAMMY Awards are now open and will be accepted through Friday, February 3, 2017 at 11:59pm.

Presented by RAMW, The RAMMY Awards Gala honors the exceptional ability and accomplishments of the hard-working individuals and organizations of the Washington, DC region’s restaurant and foodservice community. Named the #1 Food & Restaurant event by BIZBASH Magazine since 2008, the RAMMYS celebrate one of Metropolitan Washington’s greatest assets: Its restaurants. A RAMMY Award has become the most prestigious award presented to members of the restaurant, food, and beverage industry in the Washington Metropolitan region.

The 35th Annual RAMMY Awards and Gala will take place on Sunday, July 30, 2017 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Downtown DC. Finalists will be announced on April 3rd at The RAMMYS Nominations Event. (Invitation only, invitations to follow.


WHO IS ELIGIBLE: 

Any RAMW member, in good standing, who meets all the requirements of the category is eligible for nomination. Need to check if your membership is in good standing? Email therammys@ramw.org to check.

Restaurants and businesses that were previously named winners in past RAMMYS are not eligible to be nominated in the same category for five years following their win. They are, however, eligible to be nominated in other categories. Finalists who did not win their category are eligible to be nominated again in the same category.

Eligibility Requirements  |  2017 Categories


WHO CAN NOMINATE:

RAMW members, public relations representatives, restaurant owners, operators, staff, and the public are all welcome to enter submissions. Submissions are reviewed by RAMW for eligibility and approved to move on for judging. There is no fee to enter submissions. Each restaurant needs ONLY one nomination in each category to be considered. Duplicate nominations will be deemed ineligible.

Read FAQ about The RAMMYS


HOW TO NOMINATE:

Nominations are submitted online only through the nominations website.

Site users will first be asked to create a login and password to use for all your submissions. The user name and password are unique to the nominator, not to the restaurant. If you have a login from the previous year, you can login with the same username and password, or follow the prompts to reset the password if you cannot remember.

Site users will have access to their unique portal to view what submissions they need to finish and what has been submitted as complete. Once submitted as complete, submissions cannot be changed.

Please submit accurate and fact-based information as required.

It is recommended that restaurants enter submissions for any and all categories for which they are eligible for the best chance at becoming a finalist in a category.


WHY NOMINATE?

We often hear from members, "Why do I need to nominate my restaurant? Won't RAMW include me as a member in the nominations even if I don't enter submissions?"

Good question. The judges will consider all restaurants and companies for RAMMYS nominations who are RAMW members in good standing. However, there is no guarantee that the judges will add your restaurant to the running for a specific category if you do not self-nominate. The nominations process is a key step in the RAMMY Awards wherein members tell the judges what categories they think they are most eligible for and would like to be considered. It helps the judges understand that your establishment prefers to identify as Upscale Casual instead of Formal Fine Dining, for example. It is also a step during which much critical information is collected, such as how long a restaurant has been open, how long your chef or pastry chef has worked in the DC region, who your 2017 RAMMYS contact should be for this restaurant, and who your current PR team might be. If you are hoping to be considered for the Awards, it is essential that your establishment submits nominations.


CHANGES TO CATEGORIES FOR 2017

Key changes were made this year to the eligibility requirements in several categories to better represent a full year and picture of the Washington, DC regional dining scene.

  • First, the New Restaurant of the Year category extends its time frame to include restaurants that opened between December 1, 2015 and December 31, 2016.
  • Similarly, all the categories that previously had a December 1 cutoff (i.e. must have opened by December 1, 2016 to be eligible) are now extended to December 31, 2016.
  • For the Neighborhood Gathering Place category, the previous requirement that the restaurant must have been in operation for 5 years, changes to 2 years in operation to be eligible.
  • The Regional Food and Beverage Producer category will now be voted on by the RAMW restaurant membership, instead of the judges panel.
  • And finally, four categories received changes to their category names. Everyday Casual Restaurant and Everyday Casual Brunch have been updated to Casual Restaurant and Casual Brunch. Similarly, Upscale Casual Brunch is now simply Upscale Brunch. 

Click here to nominate a restaurant, individual, or business


Visit theRAMMYS.org for more information about The 2017 RAMMYS, sponsorship opportunities, and more.