Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, a national organization dedicated to the health and growth of specialty outdoor retail, announced its slate of nominees for the 2025 Grassroots Outdoor Specialty Awards.
These awards celebrate overall excellence among Grassroots retailers and vendors, as well as outstanding achievements in business, advocacy, community action and philanthropy.
Winners will be announced at the Grassroots Connect retail buying show, Jun. 9-12 in Reno, N.V.. There, 148 retail businesses and 147 exhibitors will gather for line showings to support order-writing for Spring 2026. The awards ceremony will take place at lunch on Mon., Jun 9.
“It’s always a highlight of the year to recognize the efforts to which specialty retailers and vendor partners go to serve their communities, both in the outdoor industry and in their individual geographic locations,” said Dana Howe, Grassroots Outdoor Alliance VP. “These awards put a spotlight on all the hard work they do, year-round, and they also highlight best practices that help everyone in our network learn and improve.”
Nominees include:
Retailer Awards
- Retailer of the Year — Backcountry North, D.D. Bullwinkels Outdoors, J&H Outdoors, Summit Hut and Trail Creek Outfitters.
- Community Giveback — Massey’s Outfitters, Mountain Chalet, Nantahala Outdoor Center, Roads Rivers and Trails, Tahoe Mountain Sports and Water Stone Outdoors.
- Retailer Growth Award — Active Endeavors, Gearhead, JL Waters, Mountain High Outfitters and The Bear Mountain.
- Retail Wow Award — Backcountry North, Bill Jackson’s Shop for Adventure, Pack Rat, Summit Hut and The Toggery.
Vendor Awards
- Vendor Partner of the Year – Nemo Equipment, Opinel, Patagonia, Rab and Salewa.
- Excellence in Hardgoods & Accessories – Backpackers Pantry, LEKI, Nemo Equipment, Nite Ize and Opinel
- Excellence in Apparel and Softgoods – Helly Hansen, Jetty, Patagonia, Rab and Smartwool.
- Excellence in Footwear – Astral, LOWA, Oboz, Salewa and Superfeet.
Additional awards will be given during the ceremony as well, including Appreciation for Board Service, Friend of Grassroots, Unmatched Dedication Retailer Award and Excellence in Sales Representation.
