Best of: Local People & Media

Musician
WINNER
The Dreamscapes Project
The website for The Dreamscapes Project compares the band’s sound to that of the Dave Matthews Band and the Decemberists, but really, there is no band quite like the guys from Reston. But it’s not just a unique sound that sets them apart. The band has eschewed the typical album release format, opting instead to release one single a month as part of its 12 Days Project. For each single, the band enlists local artists, filmmakers, writers and musicians to interpret the song in their given medium. “We realized we could get all these other artists involved and really shine a spotlight on an area that’s very culturally rich but tends to get overlooked because of all the politics in the area,” frontman Keith Center explains. The band further gives back to the community by donating proceeds from local shows to D.C. area charities. For a band so dedicated to promoting the Northern Virginia community, this honor is a long time coming. www.thedreamscapesproject.com. Performing a free show June 3 at 10 p.m. at Light Horse Tavern (715 King St., Alexandria; 703-549-0533) —CJ

Radio Personality
WINNER
Elliot in the Morning
In what was the tightest race in our Best of NoVA survey, DC101’s Elliot Segal, also known as Elliot in the Morning, edged out HOT 99.5’s Kane for the area’s most notable radio personality by a single vote. Elliot’s outlandish humor and notorious pranks have been a fixture on the morning radio, and have also earned his show the fifth-largest total of fines from the Federal Communications Commission in the country. You don’t stay on the radio for 11 years, however, without gathering a significant fanbase, which Elliot and Co. clearly have. Weekdays from “5:48 until 10-something” on DC101 (101.1 FM); www.eitmonline.com—CJ

RUNNER-UP
Kane
Weekdays 5-10 a.m. on HOT 99.5 (99.5 FM); www.hot995.kaneshow.com

HONORABLE MENTION
Jack Diamond
Weekdays 5-10 a.m. and Saturdays from 6-10 a.m. on MIX 107.3 (107.3 FM); www.mix1073fm.com

Most Influential Person
WINNER
Barack Obama

RUNNER-UP
Michelle Obama

Television Personality
WINNER
Jim Vance
In the Metro-D.C. area, the name Jim Vance has become a gold standard. Since joining the News4 team in 1969, Vance’s reporting has earned him recognition from our readers as the most trusted name on television. Vance’s cool demeanor and distinctive delivery have helped keep News4 consistently atop the local news ratings, even surviving the dismal lead-in numbers from NBC’s “Jay Leno Show” flop. News4 at 6 and 11 p.m.; www.nbcwashington.com—CJ

Politician
WINNER
Barack Obama