Choosy voters stand up. Choosy voters, stand up. If you love St. Louis like you say you do, now is the time to prove it by giving The St. Louis American Reader’s Choice Awards nominations period your full attention. It popped off March 1, and you have until the end of the month — March 31, to be exact — to make sure your faves have their chance to shine.
If I were y’all, I would go ahead and vote now. That way you won’t have to worry about missing the opportunity, and you can know you did your part to make sure the best and brightest in the STL have their hat in the ring.
Keep in mind: if you don’t vote, you don’t have an inch of room to complain about who didn’t make the cut or accuse the city of hatin’ on a person, place, or thing you feel deserves some love.
This won’t be my only reminder, because I want y’all to take full advantage of the opportunity to play your part in bigging up the culture for doing big things in the STL. And did I mention that this inaugural St. Louis American Reader’s Choice Awards is being powered by St. Louis City SC? Of course I did, but it’s worth repeating. For the full run down on what you need to do as far as casting your vote, visit www.stlamerican.com/readerschoice/
314 Day is the big 2-0. Since I’m already talking about St. Louis love, I might as well let y’all know how my mind is blown by the fact that 314 Day is a whole 20 years old. It’s one thing to feel old when you notice that your nephew has a little hair on his chest after you catch him cussing people out on his PS5 while wearing his undershirt. But to have the idea that my baby brothers Dip and Tatum brought to fruition evolve into a national movement has me all up in my feelings – and feeling like a for real auntie – like a Loretta Devine and Kinloch’s own THE Jenifer Lewis auntie. Oh, and when I say national movement, I’m saying it with my whole body. Did y’all see footage from those celebrations in Texas last year? The vibe was as real as The Palace or The Mono. I took it easy this week out here in these streets so that I can be well rested for the 20th anniversary turnup that is about to be utterly epic. I don’t even have the words to truly express how lit the STL is gonna be. And I don’t want to be accused of playing favorites, so I won’t get to naming events – but trust that there is something for every doggone body looking to show the city some love. They are not hard to find – and I would have to devote the rest of Partyline if I did go ahead and decide to list them all. But I will tell you what, if you are looking for me on March 14, one of the places you can find me for sure is at The Pageant for that all-star 314 Day Concert. I’ve been taking Pilates classes at the Mid-County YMCA every Wednesday since the clock struck 2026 in preparation. My arms will be ready to hit the “wop wop wow,” my legs can take on any “Mobb Out” challenge and my full body is ready to hit the “Chicken Head” at hello. All of my faves will be on that stage Saturday night – Murph, Kyweezy, Shorty, Hitman Holla, Keem andBuddy Luv to name a few. And while we are on the subject of being ready so that you don’t have to get ready, Webbie, an STL adopted son, will be blessing the mic as well. I have singled him out to give y’all eight whole days to re-acclimate yourselves with how to spell independent. The p is the fifth letter in. I’m not being shady; I’m basing my remarks on experience. I’ve heard y’all’s cousins go straight letter salad when it comes time to spell the word in Webbie’s song- even after all these years. I promise one time I heard a poor thing spell what sounded like a mash up of independent and imperial. I’m not judging, I just don’t want the nieces to be out here in these streets looking like they need “Hooked on Phonics.”
2026 NAACP Image Awards adored STL. Since I’m big into my St. Louis love bag the week before 314 Day, I might as well take the time to shout out some folks that represented St. Louis on a global stage over the past weekend. The 57th NAACP Image Awards had more St. Louis seasoning than those fire Red Hot Riplet dry rub wings at Sybergs! These are in no particular order, before y’all accuse me of playing favorites a second time. Give it up for SZA, who was born here and spent her summers here. She and K. Dot were the rightful winners of “Outstanding Music/Visual Album” for “luther.” Our boy (one of our favorite Northwest Blue Devils) William Stanford Davis, had a hand in “Abbott Elementary” earning “Outstanding Comedy Series” honors. And he also won a solo award. “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series” to be exact. STL had both the supporting and leading comedy categories locked down for television. Ceddy Ced won “Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series” for “The Neighborhood.” And Sterling K. Brown was all of us when he said “St. Louis in the house” before he accepted his award for “Outstanding Actor in A Drama Series” for “Paradise.” On a side note, “Paradise” has one more time to “This Is Us” me with the raw emotion. Count your days if you do! Okay, back to the NAACP Image Awards. It just hit me that St. Louis held it down for comedy and drama on the TV side. And while he’s technically not from St. Louis, Don Lemon made his bones as an anchor on KTVI, so I’m claiming his “Outstanding News Series” and “Outstanding Host” awards – and both his podcast award wins – for us. And just when you thought I was finished, I have to shout out East St. Louis’ own Reginald Hudlin (who won with my girl Shola Lynch) for “Outstanding Directing in a Documentary” for “Number One on the Call Sheet.”