Thursday evening was a celebration of hard work and dedication across Illinois Valley businesses — from HVAC and auto service to beauty salons and retail shops.

Shaw Media hosted the Best of the Illinois Valley at the Auditorium Ballroom in La Salle to honor those businesses voted the best in their categories by readers throughout the region.

Illinois Valley Regional General Manager Jeanette Smith thanked attendees and participants at the event, which featured live music and food from local vendors.

“Shaw Media is honored to host this event and celebrate our Best of the Illinois Valley winners,” Smith said. “Thank you to everyone for attending and to our sponsors for making this possible.” [Edited for clarity and conciseness]

Voting began in March, when residents nominated their favorite businesses in 160 categories. The contest received 22,363 nominations.

The top five vote-getters in each category advanced to the final round, where 113,286 votes were cast between May and June.

The Best of the Illinois Valley highlights the region’s diverse and high-quality businesses — a key reason the area is a great place to live, work, and play.

“A vibrant local business community makes this a great place to live, work, and play,” Shaw Media Vice President Tom Shaw told the crowd.

Winners walked away with a plaque and banners. The full list of the winners of Best of the Illinois Valley will appear in a glossy magazine that includes thank-yous from the businesses as well as more about some of the winners.