The Baltimore Sun’s readers have voted on what’s the best in the region, from acupuncturist and garden center to wedding venue and bike shop. This year’s winners include people and businesses recognized for outstanding service and customer satisfaction over the last year.
The poll includes nearly 200 categories in six areas — Activities & Arts, Home & Garden, Food & Drink, Lifestyles & Shopping, Personal services and People & Media. More than 80,000 ballots were cast cultivating a list of your favorite museums, pizza joints, boutiques, TV anchors, radio hosts and more.
For more categories, go to baltimoresun.com/best.
Best DJ
DJ Steezy
Steve Backmon, also known by his stage name “DJ Steezy,” grew up in a family of educators and musicians. He discovered his passions as an academic and an artist working as a teacher during the week and a disc jockey on the weekends.
Backmon has been mixing music for almost five years, inspired by his dad, who was also a disc jockey. He received his first mixer from a member of a local community of disc jockeys, and started working gigs as a feature artist. Backmon, who primarily plays at bars and restaurants in Baltimore and Annapolis, said he is looking to expand his business as a headliner for festivals. He said since becoming a DJ, he hasn’t looked back and that winning Baltimore’s Best proves that his years of hard work have not been in vain.
He said it’s also rewarding to see people come to multiple shows.
“The versatility of being able to play for multiple different crowds and multiple different places and still being able to draw on a crowd … has helped me branch out and be able to play so many places around the city,” he said.
Backmon said his two careers occasionally overlap. He works as a special education teacher at St. Elizabeth School in Baltimore, following the career paths of his grandmother and his aunts. He began as a paraeducator and gym teacher assistant and later went back to school at the University of Notre Dame for his masters in teaching. He also DJs for his school’s events including proms, school dances, company parties, and co-workers’ kid’s birthday parties.
Like any other gig, Backmon draws on the energy of his audience to determine what music to play, and lets his mood drive his playlist.
“Music isn’t a sound, it’s a feeling,” Backmon said, quoting a popular phrase for house-music DJs. “I like the idea that music isn’t what you listen to, it’s how you feel when you listen to it.”
— Hailey Closson
Activist: Frank Neighoff, Chesapeake Bay Association Inc.
Honorable mentions:
Kate Cook, Hands on HIIT
Devin Allen
Letrice Gant, Baltimore Ceasefire 365
Author: Charmyra E. Fleming
Honorable mentions:
Laura Lippman
D. Watkins
Anne Tyler
Clergyperson: Brian Nolan, St. Isaac Jogues Catholic Church
Honorable mentions:
Chesky Tenenbaum, Jewish Uniformed Service Association of Maryland
Craig McLaughlin, Mt. Zion UMC
Jim Muratore, St. Luke’s Church on the Avenue
College athlete: Angel Reese, LSU
College professor: Gina Laupert, Towson University
Honorable mentions:
D. Alan Orr, MICA
Rebecca Bradley, MICA
Shawntaye Adams, Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville
DJ: DJ Steezy
Honorable mentions:
Global Quan
DJ Kopec
DJ Chuckspinz
Instagram account: @BmoreFood
Honorable mentions:
Krystal Washington, @bubblytv
Wave KD @kingdoue1
Samantha Stern @baltimorefoodscene
Meteorologist: Ava Marie, WBAL
Honorable mentions:
Justin Berk, Just In Weather
Justin Chambers, Fox 45
Tony Pann, WBAL
Oriole: Adley Rutschman
Honorable mentions:
Cedric Mullins
Bruce Zimmermann
Personal trainer: Jessica Kern, INLINE Barre
Honorable mentions:
Lily Pohlenz, F45 Fells Point
Matt Wilson, Do Work Factory
Justin Inman, Dr. Baltimore Big House Fitness
Podcast: No Pix After Dark
Honorable mentions:
The Mo & Katy Show
Just LIV
Stavvy’s World (tie)
The City That Breeds (tie)
Politician/government official: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore
Honorable mentions:
Rep. Jamie Raskin
Tony Giangiordano, Harford County Council
Odette Ramos, Baltimore City Council
Radio host: Laurie DeYoung, WPOC-FM/Baltimore
Honorable mentions:
Justin, Scott, and Spiegel, 98 Rock
C4, WBAL
Tom Hall, WYPR
Radio station: WYPR 88.1 FM
Honorable mentions:
98 Rock Baltimore – WIYY FM
93.1 WPOC
WTMD 89.7 FM
Raven: Justin Tucker
Honorable mentions:
Lamar Jackson
Mark Andrews
Redditor: J.B. Shepard, Puptrait
Honorable mentions:
Jill Lauren, Jill853
Ping Regis, call_me_ping
School principal: Charles Stembler, Calvert Hall College High School
Honorable mentions:
Sister Patricia McCarron, Notre Dame Preparatory
Chris G. Cook, Homestead – Wakefield Elementary
Sister Susan Louise Eder, Immaculate Heart of Mary
Sports talk show: Big Bad Morning Show, 105.7
Honorable mention:
Mike Popovec, 105-7 The Fan
Stage actor: Emily Karol, Maryland Renaissance Festival
Honorable mentions:
Deborah Hazlett, Everyman Theatre
Jordan B. Stocksdale, Toby’s Dinner Theatre
Cori Dioquino, Strand Theater Co.
TV personality: Denise Koch, WJZ
Honorable mentions:
Jamie Costello, WMAR
Marty Bass, WJZ
Rick Ritter, WJZ
Twitter feed: Archdiocese of Baltimore Catholic Schools, @ArchBaltSchools
Honorable mentions:
Carol Ott, @carolsott
The Modest Florist, @ModestFlorist
Courtney Bindl, @notmythirdrodeo (tie)
J.B. Shepard, @Puptrait (tie)
Visual artist: Joyce Scott
Honorable mentions:
Juliet Ames
Matt Muirhead
Reed Bmore
Editor’s note: Winners and honorable mentions were determined by popular vote. Readers were invited to nominate and vote online from April to June. The results are generated solely by readers’ votes. The Baltimore Sun does not take responsibility for the services offered or advertised by those listed.
