12/17/2025
Cody Nite Rodeo Named 2025 PRCA Small Rodeo of the Year, Joining Long List of Awards and Accolades for Cody Yellowstone and Its Partners
CODY, Wyo., December 17, 2025 – The Cody Nite Rodeo was named the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) “Small Rodeo of the Year” for 2025 in the latest of a long list of accolades and awards this year. The only nightly summer-season rodeo in the U.S., Cody Nite Rodeo was the only rodeo in the Rocky Mountain Region of the U.S. to be nominated for the prestigious award. Other small rodeos nominated were in New Jersey, Texas and California.
Several rodeo contractors received awards as well, including:
Frontier Rodeo – Stock Contractor of the Year
John Harrison – Coors Man in the Can & Comedy Act of the Year
Cody Webster – Bullfighter of the Year
Shawn Calhoun – Pickup Man of the Year
This latest award caps an active year of awards and accolades for the consistently high-achieving town of Cody. The town was also included in many USA Today Reader’s Choice Awards and numerous other media and industry awards. Just like it has been year after year.
“We are abundantly proud to be part of a community of tirelessly high-achieving attractions as our international reputation for excellence continues to expand,” said Katrina Southern, marketing manager for Cody Yellowstone, the marketing arm for the region that includes the towns of Cody, Powell and Meeteetse, a large swath of the Shoshone National Forest and about half of Yellowstone National Park. “Congratulations to the Cody Nite Rodeo for earning this prestigious and highly sought-after recognition.”
Other awards and recognitions garnered by the destination this year include:
Best Small Town in the West, USA Today/10Best
Best Summer Travel Destination, USA Today/10Best
Top Small Town Arts Scene, USA Today/10Best
Best Art Museum, Newsweek (Whitney Western Art Museum)
Best Small Town Beer Scene, USA Today/10Best
Top 10 True Western Towns, True West Magazine for 2025 and 2026
Best “Who Slept Here” (Irma Hotel), True West Magazine
Best Place to Live Like an Old West Cowboy, True West Magazine
Best Historic Town Tour (Cody Trolley Tour)
of the Best Award (Cody Cattle Company), American Bus Association Destinations Magazine
TripAdvisor Travelers Choice 2025 (Cody Dug Up Gun Museum)
TripAdvisor Travelers Choice 2025 (Buffalo Bill Center of the West)
James Beard Award nomination for Best Chef, Sitti’s Table
Cody Yellowstone, alongside their agency of record, VERB, also secured numerous ADRIAN awards for its marketing efforts highlighting its social media programs, the Women’s Hiking Retreat, WILD Forever Integrated Campaign and multiple awards for its Heartbeat of the Rodeo campaign.
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Home of the Great American Adventure, Cody Yellowstone is comprised of the northwestern Wyoming towns of Cody, Powell and Meeteetse as well as the valley east of Yellowstone National Park. The region is known for rodeos, authentic guest and dude ranches, world-class museums and recreational adventures that reflect the adventurous spirit of the visionaries and explorers who brought the remote region to the world’s attention.
