Publisher Todd Stauffer Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Jackson Free Press Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Best Dressed and Best Hair Stylist winner Nikki Gallagher Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Best Photographer winner Crystal Marie Thompson (left) and Jackson Free Press Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd (right) Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Best Jackson Visual Artist winner Wyatt Waters (left) poses for a photo with Jackson Free Press Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd (right) at the 2020 Best of Jackson party. Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Best Facialist/Esthetician and Best Makeup Artist winner April Epps Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Best Massage Therapist winner Tiffany Melton Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Best Real Estate Agent winner Shandra Thompson Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Best Nail Technician winner Kristy Nguyen Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Jackson Free Press Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd (left) poses with Best Country Artist/Band, Best Musician and Best Singer winner Zach Bridges at the 2020 Best of Jackson party. Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Best Club DJ winner DJ Finesse (Chris Carr) Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Best Hip-Hop Artist/Group winner Dear Silas (left) poses for a photo with Jackson Free Press Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd (right) at the 2020 Best of Jackson party. Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Members of Best Jazz Artist/Group winner Southern Komfort Brass Band at the 2020 Best of Jackson party. Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Best Bartender and Sexiest Bartender winner Katie Fortenberry Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Best Server/Waitperson winner Alex Moore Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Jackson Free Press Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd (left) poses with Aladdin Mediterranean Grill owner Yosef Ali (right) at the 2020 Best of Jackson party. Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Victoria Fortenberry (left) poses for a photo with Jackson Free Press Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd (right) at the 2020 Best of Jackson party. Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Victoria Fortenberry, Aaron Bryant and Josh Tannehill of Cups Espresso Cafe with Jackson Free Press Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd at the 2020 Best of Jackson party. Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Best New Chef and Best Caterer winner Godfrey Morgan (left) poses for a photo with Jackson Free Press Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd (right) at the 2020 Best of Jackson party. Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Jackson Free Press Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd (left) poses with The Prickly Hippie owner Jenni Sivils (right) at the 2020 Best of Jackson party. Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services
Best Dentist and Best Pediatric Dentist winner LaMonica Davis Taylor (left) and Jackson Free Press Editor-in-Chief Donna Ladd (right) Photo by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services

Each year, the Jackson Free Press does its Best of Jackson contest, where people in the metro area vote for their favorite people, places, food and more. This celebration of Jackson culminates in an annual party on the last Sunday in January. This year’s party was on Jan. 26 at the Mississippi Art Center in downtown Jackson. Photos by Christopher McGee Photography and Aerial Services

Mississippi native Donna Ladd and partner Todd Stauffer founded the Jackson Free Press in 2002 in the capital city. The heavily awarded local newspaper did many investigations heralded across the state and nation and served as a paper of record due to its diversity, inclusion, in-depth reporting and deep connection to readers and dedication to narrative change in and about Mississippi. In 2022, the nonprofit Mississippi Free Press, founded by Ladd and JFP Associate Publisher Kimberly Griffin in 2020, purchased the journalism assets and archives of the Jackson Free Press. A Google grant through AAN Publishers enabled Newspack's integration of the JFP archives into the Mississippi Free Press website to become part of a more searchable archive of recent Mississippi history and essential journalism.