NOVEMBER 9, 2026
SKIRVIN HILTON HOTEL
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The Hirst Hospitality Awards celebrates the people who make Oklahoma’s restaurant industry possible. It’s an opportunity for restaurant owners and operators to recognize their outstanding employees, from longtime team members to rising stars, and celebrate the hard work, dedication, and hospitality they bring to their workplaces and guests every day. Eligible honorees will have the opportunity to win raffle prizes and receive commemorative gift items in appreciation of their contributions to the restaurant industry.
In addition to honoring these exceptional employees, the event recognizes the recipient of the ORA’s Distinguished Industry Leadership Award for their leadership and contributions to Oklahoma’s restaurant industry. Proceeds also support the Oklahoma Hospitality Foundation’s scholarship program, investing in students pursuing careers in hospitality and helping develop the next generation of industry professionals. |
Who is considered an Honoree?
Any restaurant or hospitality employee you deem worthy of the designation; however, you must click the Honoree field so we know they are a designated Honoree. If submitted after October 28; we will do our best to include your Honoree in all onsite Honoree recognition, but cannot guarantee their personalized gift will arrive in time for the event.
If an Honoree's name or spelling changes after October 29, 2026, a $50 charge will be required for the Honoree to receive a gift. Honorees should be prepared to show ID if they win a cash award.
Dress
Dress is Business or Cocktail. Our goal is for all Honorees to have a memorable, stress-free evening, so no jacket or tie is required.
Any restaurant or hospitality employee you deem worthy of the designation; however, you must click the Honoree field so we know they are a designated Honoree. If submitted after October 28; we will do our best to include your Honoree in all onsite Honoree recognition, but cannot guarantee their personalized gift will arrive in time for the event.
If an Honoree's name or spelling changes after October 29, 2026, a $50 charge will be required for the Honoree to receive a gift. Honorees should be prepared to show ID if they win a cash award.
Dress
Dress is Business or Cocktail. Our goal is for all Honorees to have a memorable, stress-free evening, so no jacket or tie is required.
Meet our Featured Vintner
Christy Counts, Winemaker |
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Christy Counts, founder and president of Neverstill Wines, brings deep Oklahoma roots to her growing New York wine company. Originally from Oklahoma City, Counts attended Bishop McGuinness High School and the University of Oklahoma before building a career centered on nonprofit leadership, animal welfare, and community engagement. She founded the Central Oklahoma Humane Society, now the Oklahoma Humane Society, in 2007 and continued her work in animal welfare after moving to New York.
Counts founded Neverstill Wines in 2022, with an estate vineyard on Seneca Lake and a tasting room in Hudson, New York. Her Oklahoma upbringing helped inspire the tasting room’s welcoming atmosphere, modeled after her parents’ Oklahoma City home, where friends and neighbors regularly gathered. In 2026, Neverstill expanded distribution into Oklahoma, bringing Counts’ professional journey full circle. The company also maintains her commitment to animal welfare, with $1 from every bottle sold through its Oklahoma distributor benefiting animal-welfare organizations in Oklahoma City. Together, Neverstill and Counts’ story combine wine, hospitality, philanthropy, and community building, creating a particularly meaningful connection between her work in New York and the Oklahoma community that helped shape her. |
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Wine Host
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Oklahoma Restaurant Association
2026 Recipient
Distinguished Industry Leadership Award
Randy Earhart
Taco Mayo
