After two months of online balloting and more than 20,000 votes cast, we present the best of the best — our inaugural Best of Atlanta winners.

It all started back at the beginning of May, when we asked you, our readers, to nominate your favorites for dozens of awards in the categories of Community, People, Nightlife, Dining, Retail, Pet Services, Internet, and Outside Atlanta.

The top three finalists — or more, in the case of a tie — in each category made it through to the next round of voting. For the month of June, a multiple-choice ballot asked you to pick among the finalists for who really represents the finest in LGBT Georgia.

Thanks to everyone who voted, and congratulations to all of the worthy winners and runners up.

OUTSIDE ATLANTA

Best Activist Outside Atlanta: Derrick Martin (Photo by Shannon Jenkins)

LGBT Nonprofit: Georgia Equality — Savannah

Thrust into the spotlight by a possible hate crime, Georgia Equality Savannah (www.georgiaequality.org) was named Best LGBT Non-Profit outside Atlanta’s city limits by Georgia Voice readers. GE’s Savannah branch has made headlines nationwide this year by protesting the alleged beating of a gay man by two U.S. Marines.

Macon PFLAG (www.pflagmacon.org) finished second in the voting and Augusta Pride (www.prideaugusta.org) came in third. First City Network was fourth. (www.firstcitynetwork.net)

Best of Atlanta categories:

HIV Nonprofit: AID Gwinnett

AID Gwinnett’s (www.aidgwinnett.org) 18 staffers manage a $2.1 million budget and 250 volunteers to provide services to 1,100 clients in one of Georgia’s most densely populated counties.

Athens’ Boybutante AIDS Foundation (www.boybutante.org) finished second and the East Point Possums (www.eastpointpossums.com) was ranked third.

Special Event: East Point Possums Show

The East Point Possums Show (www.eastpointpossums.com), originally begun in the backyard of some friends, now brings hundreds of people each year — gay and straight — to downtown East Point for those wanting to see a drag show with dozens of performances, ranging from raunchy and sassy to just good fun. This year the show raised some $10,000 to benefit Atlanta Pride and the Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative.

Athens’ Boybutante Ball (www.boybutante.org) placed second and Savannah Pride (www.savpride.com) finished third.

Activist: Derrick Martin

High school student Derrick Martin took his boyfriend to his prom in rural Cochran, Ga., and was kicked out of his parent’s house once his story received coverage in the mainstream media. Martin received support from across the country with offers of limo rentals, flowers and had a Facebook group created to support him.

Rick Westbrook of the East Point Possums was voted second and Kevin Clark of Georgia Equality Savannah came third. Edric Floyd of PFLAG Macon was fourth.