Bubba Awards

What Are the Bubba Awards?

The Florida Keys' Favorite Annual Celebration

Every year, Keys Weekly — the Florida Keys' independent local newspaper — hosts the Bubba Awards, a community-focused recognition event celebrating the best businesses, organizations, experiences, and personalities throughout the Florida Keys. It's the Keys' way of saying thank you to the people and places that make this stretch of islands worth calling home. Categories span everything from favorite restaurants and local services to standout personalities and community contributors. The Bubba Awards aren't decided by a panel of judges — they're driven by the community itself, through nominations and voting from locals and Keys enthusiasts who know these islands best.

From Nominee to Best Local Celebrity

We Won. Honestly, We're Still a Little Surprised.

"What started as a simple way to share Key West became something far bigger than we expected. In 2026, the community nominated Key West Shawn for Best Local Celebrity — and somehow, thanks to an incredible amount of support, we won."

When we found out Key West Shawn had been nominated for Best Local Celebrity in the 2026 Bubba Awards, Shawn and Jeannie were genuinely caught off guard. We make videos because we love Key West and we love sharing it. The idea that the community would recognize that — and vote for us — meant more than any follower count or view number ever could. Winning felt like the community saying: we see you, we appreciate what you do, and we're glad you're here. That's everything.

Thank You

This One Belongs to All of You

Winning the Bubba Award for Best Local Celebrity isn't something Shawn or Jeannie could have done alone. It took every person who watched a video, shared a post, told a friend, or took a few minutes to cast a vote. It took the local businesses who opened their doors and let us tell their stories. It took the Key West community — residents, regulars, and visitors who love this island as much as we do — showing up in a way that genuinely humbled us. From the bottom of our hearts: thank you. This award lives with all of you.