The Bartender Magazine Australian Bar Awards for 2021 are underway. Voting is now open and we really want you to get involved. These awards are determined by your votes, so we want you to have your say. Voting closes 31 May (11.59PM AEST) so tell your staff and your hospo friends.
After taking a hiatus in 2020 we are pushing ahead with the Bar Awards in 2021. The awards night (which will celebrate 20 years) is scheduled for Tuesday, September 21 and we are banking on borders being open for all (or most) states and having people come from all around the country. Of course, if we do have to contend with snap lockdowns, anyone who purchases tickets will be fully refunded.
The Bar Awards will also form part of Sydney Bar Week 19-21 September. We have slimmed down the schedule to suit current times but there will still be loads of action from both bars and supplier events as well as our own staples including the Business of Bars Conference and the Indie Spirits Tasting, among others. So check it out at sydneybarweek.com.au
A couple of things worth nothing is that the New Bar category will now encompass two years, rather than one so refer to the dates when you’re voting to see if your favourite new bar qualifies.
Also, we will be adding a new award to recognise some of our industry’s COVID heroes. So get online and tell us of the people in our industry that have gone above and beyond during this pandemic.
So make sure you cast your votes and have your say! These awards are a reflection of the venues and people that you as the trade vote for. It’s your awards so make sure you get involved.
How the voting works
This year, as always, the finalists in each category will be determined by the bar industry’s vote. Only those who work in bars and for brands may vote.
In the voting form below, for some categories we have pre-poulated venue names in a dropdown list for each award. If the venue you wish to vote for is not in the dropdown list, please specify in the box below the dropdown. (The pre-populated names are no indication of quality; they have been drawn from previous years’ voting in these categories.)
You must vote in every category marked with an asterisk for your vote to count.
The finalists will be announced in the July issue of Australian Bartender and online here at australianbartender.com.au.
The top 10 finalists in each of the categories will then be reviewed and voted on by their peers — that is, the other finalists — to determine the winners in each category.
How does this work? Once the finalists have been announced in the July issue of the magazine, we’ll be in touch with all finalists to ask them to rank the bars and operators in the next round of voting. In this round sponsors will also cast another vote.
The winners in each category will be awarded on Tuesday, 21st September 2021 at the Australian bar industry’s night of nights, the Bar Awards, at Doltone House in Sydney during Sydney Bar Week (19-21) September. Visit sydneybarweek.com.au for updates.
Voting is open now until 11:59pm AEST on May 31 2021. Voting is open to bar industry professionals only (so no, the general public doesn’t get a vote) and you can have your say right now.
Voting works best on a desktop or laptop.
Please note – if you would like to register your interest to compete in the Bartender of the Year Competition sponsored by Hendrick’s Gin & Monkey Shoulder, please email amy@spantonmedia.com as this category is not nominated!