Another year, another edition of the time-honored tradition of the seemingly totally arbitrary SoBros Network ‘Spirit of Nashville’ Awards that nobody seems to be able to define beyond “hell, we just liked all these places and went to ’em a lot this year.” We also have our list of the 2021 Spirit of Nashville nominees finalized, and folks – I am here to share that list today. If you don’t care to read a bunch of words from a dude you don’t even know, and if you’re ONLY here because someone told you to come here to vote for them, you can skip this whole post, and just click here to vote and go on about your day.
First things first, a brief introduction to who we are. We’ve found in the past that because some of the nominees shared this news on their social media accounts, we had a ton of people coming to the site (to vote for Paul Heggen and WKRN’s Good Morning Nashville and Bussin’ With The Boys) who didn’t actually know who or what we are.
In short, we’re a content/media company. We’re kind of inappropriate. But, we have about 35K readers/listeners each month (we’re babies) – people come here to read our coverage of Nashville, the Tennessee Titans, movies, and really any sort of viral content. We’ve been called “Nashville Barstool” and “Nashville Buzzfeed,” but I have my issues with each comparison – we are the SoBros Network. We are who we are, and in my opinion, we’re one of a kind.
The best way I can describe it is that the SoBros Network is the Ke$ha spectrum – when we get serious about our writing, we are as good as “Praying,” but when we let loose, we are as fun as “Tik Tok.”
On to defining what exactly our ‘Spirit of Nashville’ Award means…
It’s like a lot of what we do – shrugging and saying, “I dunno, let’s just do it.” Sometimes, this award is a way for us to recognize individuals who are doing exemplary work in the Nashville community. Some people deserve an extra pat on the back for all they’re doing and what they mean to this community.
Sometimes, it’s based purely on performance. Look at how much success a person attained in a given year and give that a big shout out. Did someone win a championship? Is their name popping up all over the place? Do they have a smooth, silky voice they use to predict the weather on television? Do they make hilarious jokes about the potholes on 440? Are they For The Boys? These are just a few examples.
It essentially sounds like there are no rules to being nominated for this award, and that’s certainly not NOT true. But, the general consensus is that being nominated for this award comes from having a successful year and being of strong character that matches the core values of our company. Those values would be:
- Create Fearlessly
- Uplift Others
- Be Humble
- GSD (Get Shit Done)
Ultimately, I think it comes down to one question: are you a force for good in the world? You represent that spirit, we’re going to take notice. And, if you’re voted as the winner of the ‘Spirit of Nashville’ Award, you’re going to get a miniature fucking disco ball trophy. On to this year’s nominees.
SPIRIT OF NASHVILLE
Allan Bell – I know an awful lot of people appreciate Allan’s work on CBS Sportsline, and he’s earned an awful lot of people some money (thanks, Allan). But, it’s his willingness to work hard, help people out, uplift his audience, and do so with character that sets him apart from others. Cash it!
Kevin Byard – Byard may very well be a contender for the NFL’s ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ award for how he’s playing so far throughout 2021, and he’s been one of the best Titans players on the team since his drafting out of MTSU in 2016. But, Byard has shown a propensity for giving back through his work with the Byard Family Legacy Fund, making sure families “had a place to turn to when times got tough.” His story and his character are a prime example of what makes the spirit of this city so strong.
Turron Davenport – TD is among the elite reporters to ever cover the Tennessee Titans. He’s knowledgeable, entertaining, and he goes above and beyond to break down the Xs and Os of the game (shout out to Whiteboard Wedensday). His strong delivery, informative approach, and upbeat demeanor to his work stands out and has earned him a strong fan base here in Nashville.
Slim & Husky’s – You can’t turn your head to cough in this city without hearing about Slim & Husky’s these days, and for good reason. It’s some of the best pizza in town – they’ve opened up new locations this year, partnered with the Titans and the Grizzlies, and made Nashville history earlier this year by becoming the first black-owned restaurant on Broadway. These guys are the definition of hard work, vision, and a desire to make things better coming through to create something special. The story of Slim & Husky’s is inspirational.
History of the Spirit of Nashville Award: Paul Heggen (2017), WKRN’s Good Morning Nashville (2018), Bussin’ With The Boys (2019), Daddy’s Dogs (2020), @NashSevereWx (2020)
SOBROS NETWORK’S SPIRIT OF NASHVILLE 2021
- Nashville Creator Award
- Josh Black
- Blame Your Brother
- Broadway Sports
- Church of Joshi
- Joshua Hedley
- Music City Drive-In
- Quick Sixer Podcast
- E Young
- Best Nashville Sports Podcast
- Club and Country by 440 Media
- Coaches Corner by Broadway Sports
- Football & Other F Words by Broadway Sports
- The Install with Greg Cosell by Buck Reising
- Locked on Titans
- The Music City Audible by Broadway Sports
- No Nonsense
- On The Forecheck
- Paradise Pod: A Nashville SC Podcast
- Renegades of Puck
- Talking with TD feat. Turron Davenport
- Best Restaurant in Nashville
- Barcelona Wine Bar
- Butcher & Bee
- Etch
- The Optimist
- Treehouse
- Best Overall Spot in Nashville
- Applebee’s
- Daddy’s Dogs
- Ed’s Fish
- MLRose
- Nectar: Urban Cantina
- TennFold Brewing
- Best Thing to Do in Nashville
- Arrington Vineyards
- Belcourt Theatre
- Cheekwood
- Full Moon Cineplex
- The Game Terminal
- Nashville Symphony
- Grand Old Golf
- Pins Mechanical Company
- Tomato Art Fest
- TPAC
- Best Hot Chicken
- Bolton’s
- Hurt’s Hot Chicken
- Prince’s
- Red’s 615 Kitchen
- Best Spot to Grab a Beer
- The Game Terminal
- Pins Mechanical Company
- The Pool Club at The Virgin Hotel
- Smith & Lentz
- Tailgate Brewery
- Best Burger
- Burger Up
- Hugh Baby’s
- MLRose
- The Pharmacy
- Best Food Truck
- Califarmia
- Chang Noi Thai-Lao
- CHIVANADA
- Nashville Sandwich Society
- Red’s 615 Kitchen
- Tennessee Tatercakes
- Best Restaurant in Mount Juliet
- Big Bad Wolf
- Catch 22
- Hibachi Jr.
- Memo’s Mexican Kitchen
- MLRose
- Smiley Thai and Sushi
People might be offended because their favorite place was left off the ballot, but it’s important to remember that these nominations were made from the SoBros community and they are, quite simply, what we and our friends enjoyed and respected the most this year. Instead of yelling at us for leaving something off, suggest we try it, and who knows? Maybe it’ll be on this list in 2022.
If you have a Google account, then log in to that bitch and cast your ballot here. Also, I’m not spending the time to tag all these people this year. If y’all want to let ’em know they’ve been nominated, then go for it. Otherwise, I’m too tired, and the whole point of this thing is for the SoBros Network community to come together and show appreciation for something they like – not to see who has the biggest social media following. I’m probably sounding overly grumpy about this. I’m really not – again, I’m just fucking tired. This is actually one of the things I get the most excited about each year – doing our part to recognize the people and the businesses that make Nashville such a great city to live in.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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