Nicest Places in America 2026 Official Contest Rules

Terms and Conditions (“Terms”)

The Reader’s Digest ‘Nicest Places in America 2026’ Reader Nomination Promotion (“Promotion”) is organized by Trusted Media Brands, Inc., publisher of Reader’s Digest (“Organizer”). The honorary Promotion celebrates places nominated by readers as the “Nicest Places in America.” Recognition is at the sole discretion of the Organizer and carries no monetary prize.

1. Eligibility: Participation is open to legal U.S. resident residing in one of the 50 United States or District of Columbia, at least age 18 or older at the time of participation (“Participant”). No purchase is necessary to participate. Employees, officers, directors, and their immediate family members and members of their household (whether related or not), of the Organizer, its parent and affiliated companies and any promotion partner or agent are prohibited from participating. By participating, Participants agree to these Terms.

2. Promotion Period: Nominations are accepted from September 19, 2025 at 12:01am Eastern Time to May 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time (“Promotion Period”). Organizer reserves the right to modify the Promotion Period at any time for any reason. Late, incomplete, or illegible nominations will not be considered. Organizer is the official timekeeper. Void where prohibited.

3. How To Participate: Participants may nominate any place in the United States they believe embodies kindness, civility, and community spirit, that deserves recognition as the “Nicest Place in America” by submitting their Nomination online at https://www.rd.com/article/the-nicest-places-in-america-2025/ (“Submission”).

Each Submission must include:
• a fully completed nomination form
• an engaging description of the place
• at least one story illustrating what makes this place ‘nice’
• Zip code of the nominated place (required, even if the area spans multiple zip codes)

Eligible places include towns, neighborhoods, buildings, parks, or establishments (e.g., businesses, places of worship, community centers, etc.), and unique vehicles (e.g., motor vehicles, trains, boats) will also qualify.

Submission limits: Up to five (5) nominations per person per day, with multiple entries allowed for the same place. Photos are encouraged but not required. And the more you send us, the better! All text and images must be the original work of the Participant and compatible with Organizer’s systems. By submitting, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy, accessible at www.tmbi.com/privacy-policy. Standard data or messaging rates may apply for mobile entries.

4. Selection and Recognition: The Organizer will review eligible Submissions and, at its sole discretion, select one or more finalist places and one or more winner places. Organizer reserves the right to feature these finalist and winner places, along with the names of the Participants who submitted the nomination, across the Organizer’s digital channels and print publications, including without limitation, https://www.rd.com and Reader’s Digest magazine. Some entries may not appear online. Organizer reserves the right to remove content at any time and for any reason. Final selections and winners are solely determined by the Organizer are final. Recognition is honorary only. No prize, award, or compensation will be granted.

5. Use of Submissions: By participating, Participant hereby grants to the Organizer an irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide, transferable license of, on a gratis basis, all rights, title and interest in and to any written responses, other text, images, or content Participant provides in its Submission, including, without limitation, all rights of every kind and nature (whether now known or hereafter devised), including without limitation for the purpose of marketing, advertising, promotion, or commercial purposes, and Participants consent to the use their name, likeness, voice, hometown (e.g., city and state) and biographical information about you in connection therewith, throughout the universe, in perpetuity, for all purposes, in any and all media, whether now known or hereafter devised. Participant hereby waives all so-called “moral rights of authors” and “droit moral” rights (and any similar or analogous rights under the applicable laws of any country of the world). Participants agree and acknowledge that no royalties, monies or consideration of any kind will be payable in connection with Organizer’s use of the Submission, whether commercial use or otherwise, in any and all media, whether now known or hereafter devised. Organizer may contact Participants via phone or email regarding their Submission. Participant agrees that, in the event of an ineligible Submission, the opportunity for the Submission to receive publicity is the sole and sufficient consideration due to Participant and that the license granted by Participant herein shall be and remain valid and irrevocable.

6. Content Restrictions: Submissions must not infringe on the copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity or other intellectual property rights of any person or entity. All Submissions and other materials submitted in connection with this Promotion may not contain any material that is obscene, defamatory, offensive or otherwise inappropriate. Organizer reserves the right to crop or edit Submissions for brevity or clarity.

7. Conditions: By participating, Participants agree to be bound by these Terms and Organizer’s Privacy Policy, accessible at www.tmbi.com/privacy-policy. Organizer is not liable for any malfunctions or failures of any telephone network or lines, computer internet system, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any email on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the internet or at any website, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to participant’s or any other person’s computer, mobile or any other device and/or its contents related to or resulting from participation or downloading/uploading any materials relating to this Promotion, or other technical difficulties or failures or other errors of any kind. Organizer reserves the right to terminate, suspend, or modify the Promotion at any time for any reason. Participants agree to release, waive all right to, indemnify and hold Organizer, its affiliated and subsidiary companies harmless from and against any and all claims, liabilities, loss, damage, or expense arising out of or in connection with this Promotion. In the event of any dispute regarding the identity of a Participant who submitted an online submission, the authorized account holder of the email address used for the submission will be deemed the Participant. “Authorized account holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g. business, educational institute) that is responsible for assigning email address for the domain associated with the submitted email address. Organizer, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any submission.

8. General: To the extent permitted by law, the rights to litigate, to seek injunctive relief or to make any other recourse to judicial or any other procedure in case of disputes or claims resulting from or in connection with this Promotion are hereby excluded, and any Participant expressly waives any and all such rights. In the event that a court of competent jurisdiction finds the foregoing waiver unenforceable, Participants hereby consent to the jurisdiction and venue residing exclusively within the federal or state courts sitting in New York County in the State of New York and agree that any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Promotion shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action. Participants agree that these Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without reference to principles of conflicts of law. If any provision(s) of these Terms are held to be invalid or unenforceable, all remaining provisions hereof will remain in full force and effect.

9. Organizer: Trusted Media Brands, Inc., 485 Lexington Ave., 7th Floor, New York, NY 10017