Arcade or entertainment venue

Winner: Barcade
Detroit; barcade.com

Finalists: Breakout Escape Rooms, Escape Room, Free Play Pinball Arcade, Offworld Arcade,

Art fair

Winner: Ann Arbor Art Fair
Ann Arbor; theannarborartfair.com

Finalists: Art & Apples Festival, Art in the Park, Michigan Lottery Arts Beats & Eats, Wyandotte Street Art Fair

Art gallery

Winner: Scarab Club
Detroit; scarabclub.org

Finalists: Anton Art Center, Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, David Klein Gallery, El Piqasso Art Café & Gallery, Paint Creek Center for the Arts, Playground Detroit

Casino

Winner: MGM Detroit
Detroit; mgmgranddetroit.mgmresorts.com

Finalists: Hollywood Casino at Greektown, Motor City Casino

Club for dancing

Winner: Boogie Fever
Ferndale; boogieferndale.com

Finalists: Nomi Lounge, Spot Lite Detroit, TV Lounge

Club for live music

Winner:  Cliff Bell’s
Detroit; cliffbells.com

Finalists: Blue Llama Jazz Club & Restaurant, Nomi Lounge, The Magic Bag, The Roxy

Comedy club

Winner:  Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle
Royal Oak; comedycastle.com

Finalists: Go Comedy!, One Night Stans Comedy Club, Planet Ant Theatre, Punchline Comedy Lounge

Community theater company

Winner:  Stagecrafters
Royal Oak; stagecrafters.org

Finalists: Farmington Players, In The Mitten Productions

Concert venue

Winner:  Pine Knob Music Theatre
Clarkston; pineknobamp.com

Finalists: Andiamo Celebrity Showroom, Little Caesars Arena, Meadow Brook Amphitheatre, Royal Oak Music Theater, Sound Board at MotorCity Casino Hotel

Detroit Music Legend

Winner: Bob Seger; bobseger.com

Finalists: Diana Ross, Eminem, Jack White, Kid Rock, Madonna, Stevie Wonder

Jazz club

Winner: Cliff Bell’s
Detroit; cliffbells.com

Finalists: Aretha Jazz Café, Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, Blue Llama Jazz Club and Restaurant, Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe

Movie theater (art/indie)

Winner: Detroit Film Theatre
Detroit; dia.org/dft

Finalists: Farmington Civic Theater, Michigan Theater, Redford Theatre

Movie theater (complex)

Winner: Emagine Entertainment
Multiple locations; emagine-entertainment.com

Finalists: MJR Theatres, Phoenix Theatres

Museum (arts)

Winner:  Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit; dia.org

Finalists: Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Cranbrook Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit,

Museum (other)

Winner:  Greenfield Village
Dearborn; thehenryford.org/visit/venues/greenfield-village

Finalists: Cranbrook Institute of Science, Detroit Historical Museum, Stahl Motors and Music Experience, The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation

Performing Arts Venue

Winner:  Fox Theatre
Detroit; 313presents.com/venue/fox-theatre

Finalists: Detroit Opera House, Detroit Public Theatre, Fisher Theatre, Music Hall Detroit

Podcast

Winner: St. Brown Podcast; youtube.com/@stbrownpodcast

Finalists: Daily Detroit, Eat ‘Em Up: A Detroit Tiger’s Podcast, LifeExcellence with Brian Bartes, The Drew & Mike Podcast, The Pindown: A Pistons Podcast, The Robinett’s Nest (Chuck and Kristy Robinett), What Dewey Do? (Dewey Steffen), Winged Wheel (Red Wings)

Visual Artist

Winner:  Tiff Massey; tiffmassey.com

Finalists: Allie McGhee, Brittney Robinson (@justbiiird), Jodi Lynn Burton, Lois Teicher, Mario Moore, Nicole Jarecz, Sabrina Nelson, Senghor Reid, Sheefy McFly, Shirley Woodson, Susan Goethas Campbell, Tylonn J. Sawyer

Best of Detroit 2026

Food & Drinks | Community & Sports | Services & Retail | Health & Beauty

This story originally appeared in the June 2026 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition.