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Arts & Music Readers’ Pick Winners: Best in the Nest 2025

Best of Charlotte's arts and entertainment scenes chosen by Queen City Nerve readers

Q.C. Nerve Staff November 3, 2025

3 minutes read

Best in the Nest Readers’ Picks are chosen exclusively by readers through a one-month nomination process followed by a one-month voting process. The nominations were not tampered with by Queen City Nerve staff at all. In other words, if you disagree with these ones, that’s on your fellow reader, not us. 2025 saw more than 42,000 ballots cast between the nomination and final rounds of voting in August and September.

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Winners: Download your award graphics here

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VISUAL ARTS

Part of Meredith Connelly's 'Golden Threads' Rail Trail Lights exhibit shows light-up mushrooms along South Boulevard — Part of Meredith Connelly’s ‘Golden Threads’ Rail Trail Lights exhibit. (Photo by Rico Marcelo)

BEST MURALIST

Winner: Bree Stallings
Runner Up: Osiris Rain

BEST MUSEUM

Winner: The Mint Museum
Runner Up: The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture

BEST PHOTOGRAPHER

Winner: Jessica Arden
Runner Up: Adam Cannavo

BEST SCULPTOR

Winner: Hannah Shaban
Runner Up: Mark Doepker

BEST TATTOO ARTIST

Winner: Daniel Marca
Runner Up: Hayley Moran

BEST VISUAL ARTIST

Winner: Elizabeth Palmisano
Runner Up: Phoebe Teeters

PERFORMING ARTS

Allison Graham as La Cuca, Mariana Corrales as La Carmen, and Marcella Pansini as La Connie (Image courtesy of Three Bone Theatre)

BEST ACROBAT

Winner: Madison Cox
Runner Up: Melanie Fox – Cirque du Biere

BEST ACTOR

Winner: Michael Lyfelong Foster
Runner Up: Marvin King

BEST ACRTRESS

Winner: Brooke McCarthy
Runner Up: Nonye Obichere

BEST CLASSICAL DANCER

Winner: Sarah Hayes Harkins
Runner Up: Hart Isaacoff

BEST COMEDIAN

Winner: Alex King
Runner Up: Shawn Collins

BEST COMEDY VENUE

Winner: The Comedy Zone
Runner Up: Monarch Market

BEST CONTEMPORARY DANCER

Winner: Carolina Quirós Otárola
Runner Up: Audrey Baran

BEST DRAG PERFORMER

Winner: Buff Faye
Runner Up: Vanna Vanity

BEST IMPROV TROUPE

Winner: Over The Counter Improv
Runner Up: Shameless Society Improv

BEST MAGICIAN

Winner: Caleb Sigmon
Runner Up: Colin Eleazar

BEST MOVIE THEATER

Winner: RedStone 14 Cinemas
Runner Up: The Independent Picture House

BEST PERFORMING ARTIST(S)

Winner: Cirque du Biere
Runner Up: Baran Dance

BEST PLACE TO HEAR SPOKEN WORD

Winner: The Evening Muse
Runner Up: Petra’s

BEST SKETCH COMEDY GROUP

Winner: Cancel Culture Court
Runner Up: ScrewUp TV

BEST THEATRE COMPANY

Winner (Tie): Theatre Charlotte
Winner (Tie): Three Bone Theatre
Runner Up: Davidson Community Players

BEST THEATRE SHOW (LOCAL)

Winner: Sex, Lies and A Sycamore Tree
Runner Up: …what the end will be presented by Three Bone Theatre

BEST THEATRE SHOW (NATIONAL)

Winner: Hamilton
Runner Up: Life of Pi

MUSIC BY VENUE

The Milestone Club has been hosting live music on Tuckaseegee Road since 1969. (Courtesy of How to Save a Milestone)

BEST CONCERT VENUE

Winner: The Milestone Club
Runner Up: The Evening Muse

BEST LOCAL RECORD LABEL

Winner: 10mm Omega Recordings
Runner Up: Pachyderm Music Lab

BEST MUSIC FESTIVAL (IN STATE)

Winner: BOOM Charlotte
Runner Up: Lovin’ Life Music Fest

BEST MUSIC SCHOOL/LESSONS

Winner: Amplified Music School
Runner Up: School of Rock

BEST LOCAL SHOW OF THE PAST 12 MONTHS

Winner: Tiny City (I Hope It’s With You album release show), with Saintlogic and Creatures of the Sun – 06/07/25

BEST OPEN MIC NIGHT

Winner: Mondays at Club Mirage
Runner Up: Find Your Muse Mondays at The Evening Muse

BEST PLACE TO HEAR COUNTRY MUSIC

Winner: The Tipsy Burro Saloon & Cantina
Runner Up: Coyote Joe’s

BEST PLACE TO HEAR JAZZ

Winner: Middle C Jazz
Runner Up: Petra’s

BEST RECORDING STUDIO

Winner: Old House Studio
Runner Up: Sioux Sioux Studio

MUSIC BY ARTIST(S)

BEST ALTERNATIVE/PUNK BAND

Winner: Oh! You Pretty Things
Runner Up: I Hate Dave

BEST BLUES/JAZZ/SOUL BAND

Winner: Nathan Harris & the Flood
Runner Up: Guy Nowchild

BEST COUNTRY/FOLK BAND

Winner: Jason Moss And The Hosses
Runner Up: Elonzo Wesley

BEST DJ

Winner: DJ Spider
Runner Up: Jah Freedom

BEST ELECTRONIC/POP

Winner: Natalie Carr
Runner Up: Val Merza

BEST EXPERIMENTAL MUSICIAN/BAND

Winner: Bravo Pueblo
Runner Up: Walter Boston

BEST INDIE-ROCK BAND

Winner: Woody
Runner Up: Tiny City

BEST LIVE PERFORMER(S)

Winner: The Parks Brothers
Runner Up: Val Merza

BEST LOCAL ALBUM

Winner: Bull Fightin’ Betty – Woody
Runner Up: I Hope It’s With You – Tiny City

BEST NEW BAND

Winner: Creatures of the Sun
Runner Up: Edward Crowther

BEST POTENTIAL BREAKOUT ARTIST

Winner: Jordan Sledge
Runner Up: Edward Crowther

BEST PRODUCER

Winner: Jason Scavone
Runner Up: Krystle Baller

BEST R&B SINGER

Winner: Dexter Jordan
Runner Up: Mone’t Symone

BEST RAPPER

Winner: Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon
Runner Up: PHAZE GAWD

BEST SOLO PERFORMER

Winner: Mone’t Symone
Runner Up: Lisa De Novo

BEST SINGER/SONGWRITER

Winner: Laticia Helton
Runner Up: Dylan Gilbert