Alabama creativity took many forms at the 2026 Soul of the South Awards, and I was so proud to be in the room. It showed up in music, food, architecture, art, and the work of people caring for the state’s land and communities. For one evening, creators in each of these areas shared space at Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.
Attendees traded everyday clothes for cocktail attire with a creative twist and gabbed over Alabama oysters and Southern fare to celebrate the people behind that work that shapes our state. The museum provided a fitting backdrop. Surrounded by machines that reflect imagination, craftsmanship, and attention to detail, attendees recognized those same qualities in the evening’s honorees.
(Mary-Gates Allen/SoulGrown)
I was in awe of how SoulGrown brought together so many interests and accomplishments into a single space. One of those was an opening performance by the 2025 Music & Entertainment winner, Drayton Farley. In addition to recognizing and celebrating creators, the event was an opportunity to look across disciplines and appreciate the breadth of talent that calls Alabama home. It also gave people whose work might rarely intersect a reason to meet. I, for one, left with a fuller Rolodex.
That sense of connection carried into the keynote address from Trey Echols, known online as The Fedneck.
Different Paths, Shared Purpose
Echols began his speech with a reminder that felt especially fitting in a room filled with such varied talent.
“There are different pathways to success. Everybody does it differently,” he said.
His message acknowledged that everyone’s creative path is unique. Our interests, experiences, and perspectives shape what we create and how we share it. Looking around the room, I could see that idea reflected in the range of work being recognized.
(Mary-Gates Allen/SoulGrown)
Echols tied those approaches together through storytelling: “It all starts the same: Tell them your story.”
For someone like me, whose path has included education, blogging, freelance writing, and authorship, that message felt encouraging. It also gave me another perspective to reflect on. Each honoree brought a distinct story. Together, they revealed something about Alabama.
A song, a thoughtfully designed space, a meal, or an outdoor experience can introduce someone to a side of this state they haven’t encountered. The people behind those experiences help shape how Alabama is understood, both by those who live here and those discovering it for the first time.
As Echols put it, “There’s something homegrown, something SoulGrown about the state.”
Celebrating the Honorees
SoulGrown CEO Courtney Hancock and Editor Holly Swafford introduced the nominees in each category before announcing the winners. Hearing the accomplishments and backgrounds of each recipient was truly inspiring. The evening’s winners were:
- Food & Beverage: Candace Foster
- Interior Design: Ryan Mills
- Architecture: Will Hall
- Music & Entertainment: Taylor Hunnicutt
- Artists & Makers: Kristin Pettway
- Philanthropy: Lane Hagan
- Conservation: Christopher Joe
- Farming & Agriculture: Jennifer Dunbar
- Sports & Outdoors: Andrew Maxwell and Jacob Myers
The award categories showed just how many types of work contribute to life in Alabama. Alongside artistic expression and design were efforts rooted in service, agriculture, conservation, and outdoor exploration.
(Mary-Gates Allen/SoulGrown)
Recognizing those contributions together encouraged a broader appreciation of the state’s talent. It created space to celebrate the people creating memorable experiences as well as those caring for the communities and landscapes that make those experiences possible.
For attendees, the event invited curiosity. There were new names to learn, new work to explore, and new people whose accomplishments deserved a closer look.
Connections Beyond the Celebration
For me, the Soul of the South Awards extended well beyond an awards ceremony. I learned about a farm I’m planning to visit, discovered a new musician, and left with several new stories to tell about people doing incredible work across Alabama. Both the winners and the nominees gave me reasons to keep exploring.
(Mary-Gates Allen/SoulGrown)
Even after years of calling this state home and writing about its people and places, there is still so much to discover. Celebrating their work was a pleasure. Getting to know the stories behind it is what comes next.
