Local IQ, in partnership with the Amarillo Globe-News, presented the 2023 official Community Choice Awards with the Best of Amarillo dinner presentation on Thursday evening at the Amarillo Civic Center Heritage Room.

The awards ceremony, a sold-out event, included a crowd of more than 700 attendees representing 193 categories and a total of 185 winners.

The event included a cocktail hour and three-course dinner catered by Macaroni Joe’s with music provided by Gary Nix and West Texas followed by a welcoming from Tyler Wille, Director of Sales with Local IQ and category presentations by Ellie Breaux, the 2023 Miss Texas.

“We are the biggest small town; everybody is excited for each other. This is one of the loudest, most exciting, biggest events I have MC’d. This is an absolute blast,” Wille said.

“To become even a finalist in your category, with all of the competition there is in Amarillo, is huge. Being the top three out of all the businesses in Amarillo for each category, and then for the winners to be chosen by the community as the Best Of, that is a title they should wear proudly,” Wille added.

One of the finalists, Amarillo National Bank (ANB), received a total of six awards including four in the finance category and two in the services category including “philanthropic business.”

“Honestly these awards mean everything to us, because it is voted by the people in Amarillo. That fact that we are local and we really support and love this community, we are just very humble and grateful to win,” Tawn Burress, marketing director for ANB said.

“Receiving the Philanthropic Business award is one that we are most proud of receiving tonight, because our heart is in Amarillo. The bank is founded here, and we always try to support our local charities and non-profits because they do such an amazing job for the community. The best thing we can do is thank them by giving back,” Burress added.