BEST OF OKC: People & Media

Best local band/singer/ songwriter: THE FLAMING LIPS

Well, duh. Voting the Lips as the best band in the metro’s about as obvious as voting Sally Kern for “least tactful public speaker.” Coyne, Drozd, Ivins, Scurlock and company earned this clout by recording wonderfully inventive, bizarre music and showcasing it with mind-blowing concerts. New Year’s Eve is now synonymous with the Lips. It’s not often that a single band can spawn a community-wide cultural event so exciting and fun that people return year after year after year. Rock on!

2. Graham Colton

3. Mike Hosty Worth mentioning: Blues Tiger Band, Pretty Black Chains

Best TV personality or team: GARY ENGLAND

KWTV To whom does Oklahoma turn in our time of greatest need? To one man — our hero — who serves as our state’s watchful protector, spring after stormy spring. While his annual storm-warning efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by those who dole out Emmy Awards (he has two), nor by the Oklahoma Centennial committee (who memorialized his bust in 2007), we like to think Gary England’s greatest honor is the fact that his reporting has not only saved countless lives, but inspired a drinking game. Here’s to you, Gary.

2. David Payne and Lance West, KFOR

3. Rick Mitchell, KOCO Worth mentioning: 2 Movie Guys , KAUT; Liz Dueweke, KO H


Best radio personality or team: JACK & RON
98.9 KISS FM Too-tough trivia: Who’s dominated the “Best radio personality or team” category for at least 10 years? Why, it’s the dynamic duo at 98.9 KISS- FM, of course: Jack Elliott and Ron Williams. The guys’ morning show is an absolute grab-bag, and nothing’s off-limits. Cooking, sex, sports, pop culture, trivia — they do it all, five days a week.

2. Joey & Heather, WILD 104.9 HD

3. Ferris O’Brien, thespyfm.com Worth mentioning: The Morning Animals, WWLS The Sports Animal; Rick & Brad, Rock 100.5 The KATT

Best community leader: KEVIN DURANT

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s 6-foot- 9-inch star forward rose head and shoulders above the rest. KD, who was named Rookie of the Year in the 2007- 08 NBA season, gives Thunder fans a reason to rise together as the league’s reigning scoring champ. This year, Durantula helped hoist the Thunder to the Western Conference Finals. Now, if he can just end the lockout.

2. Mayor Mick Cornett

3. Sen. Andrew Rice Worth mentioning: Cardboard Jim Traber, Gov. Mary Fallin

Best chef: RYAN PARROTT

Iguana Mexican Grill Executive chef Ryan Parrott always has had the freedom to develop and express himself by doing whatever he felt like doing. While building his reputation from the age of 15, he earned the admiration of his fellow chefs in the business. This is one guy with stellar taste who creates crowd-pleasing dishes with fresh pleasures. Congrats, Ryan, and well deserved!

2. Kurt Fleischfresser, The Coach House

3. Bruce Rinehart, Rococo Restaurant & Fine Wine Worth mentioning: Jonathon Stranger of Ludivine, Clay Falkner of Signature Grill

Best local website: NEWS9.COM

You whine, “Oh, if only there were one place on the web I could see graphic auto-accident footage, catch Kelly Ogle giving his two cents about McDonald’s Happy Meal apple slices, watch old ‘Star Trek’ cartoons, check out that newfangled ESP weather radar, get a cherry walnut tart recipe and gaze at photos of Robin Marsh,” and we answer, “Point your browser to news9.com.” (But hey, okgazette.com is pretty badass, even without an Ogle.)

2. keepitlocalok.com

3. thelostogle.com Worth mentioning: wimgo.com , oksugar.com

Best person or business to follow on social media: KEVIN DURANT

The Oklahoma City Thunder may not be NBA champs (yet), but the guy in the No. 35 jersey can put this win on his mantle! His nearly 900,000 Twitter followers can’t get enough of KD’s 140-characters-or-less musings like “When someone ask you what they need to work on and you tell them..they aren’t supposed to get mad...SMH” and “Sittin in the airport bored, got a 70 hour layover....who wanna skype wit me.”

2. The Lost Ogle

3. OK Sugar Worth mentioning: Floyd Martin , Dan Gordon

Photos by Shannon Cornman, Mark Hancock and Lindsey Cooper