Watermark Out News has been Central Florida and Tampa Bay’s leading LGBTQ+ news source for over 30 years. For most of that time, readers have recognized their local favorites through our annual “best of” awards.
The first round for this year’s Watermark Out News: Diversity, Excellence and Resilience Awards, or WONDER Awards, ran Jan. 2-14. Readers nominated Central Florida and Tampa Bay’s LGBTQ+ community in the areas of activism, service, entertainment and more.
This determined a Top 5 for the voting round, which ran Jan. 29-Feb. 11. Readers responded in record numbers to determine the Top 3 honorees in over 60 categories, detailed below.
Congratulations to every person and organization who made it into this year’s Top 5 and to every finalist. Thank you all for being a vital part of what makes Watermark Out News and our community so WONDERful.
Central Florida
Central Florida’s Top 3 2026 winners
Central Florida profiles:
WONDER Award winner: Renaissance Theatre Company
WONDER Award winner: Pineapple Healthcare
WONDER Award winner: Annie Daynow
Central Florida WONDER Awards photos:
2026 WONDER Award step-and-repeat photos
2026 WONDER Award celebration photos
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay’s Top 3 2026 winners
Tampa Bay profiles:
WONDER Award winner: Tamara Leigh, Tampa Bay Black Lesbians
WONDER Award winner: Jordan Furlong
WONDER Award winner: The Dog Bar
Tampa Bay WONDER Awards celebration photos:
2026 WONDER Award step-and-repeat photos
2026 WONDER Award celebration photos
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