Dec. 3, the day we are placing the Best in the Nest 2021 winners online, marks the city of Charlotte’s 253rd birthday. According to UNC Charlotte’s Special Collections and University Archives department: On Dec. 3, 1768, Colonial Governor William Tryon signed into law “An Act for establishing a Town in Mecklenburg County,” which designated 360 acres of land for the new town, and that it “…shall be called by the Name of Charlotte.”

Sunday, Dec. 5, also marks our third birthday here at Queen City Nerve, and while we haven’t been around quite as long as the Queen City itself, we’re more than grateful to our readers for their continued support us as we’ve gotten off the ground and carried out our mission to serve as a community paper, telling the stories we feel need to be told in Charlotte.

We’re also thankful for our staff and contributors who helped us put together such a comprehensive Best in the Nest Issue featuring winners in 450 categories:

Staff and Best in the Nest contributors: Aerin Spruill, Allison Frazier, Dion Beary, Erin Tracy-Blackwood, Grant Baldwin, Jayme Johnson, Justin LaFrancois, Karie Simmons, Karina Caporino, Nikolai Mather, MB Schaffner, Pat Moran and Timothy DePeugh.

Featuring clips from reporting by: Annie McGowan, Allison Braden, Brianna Monroe, Caitlin Mroz, Cecilia Whalen, Greg Jarrell, Jasiatic Anderson, Jeff Hahne, Jonathan Golian, Liz Logan, Matt Cosper, Molly Ruggere, Taylor Knopf, Tracy Jones.

And including photos from: Alex Acevedo, Alvin C. Jacobs Jr., Andrea Orr, Annie McGowan, April Friedline, Ariel Perry, Arlynn Zachary, Ashley Smith, Barry Greene, BlueSky Artists, Brandon Weiner, Brian “BT” Twitty, Caitin Mroz, Chelsea DeMoss, Christine Edwards, Cody Bennett, Cody Carlson, Cory Wilkins, David Flowers, Emily Barnes, Fenix Foto, Grant Baldwin, Jeff Hahne, Joan Marcus, Joshua Galloway, Justin Driscoll, Kenty Chung, Kevin McCarthy, Laura Sexton, Lindsey Miller, Marc Prosper, Mixed Metaphors Productions, Nick King, Nick Lewis, Patrick Causey, Perry Tannenbaum, Peter Taylor, Ramsey Lyric, Remy Thurston, Rick Ullberg, Rob Harmon, ScallionPancake, and Shea McKissack.