By Stefanie Collins, editor bars&clubs

Celebrating the best bars and bartenders in Melbourne and Sydney, the nominees for the 2016 Time Out Bar Awards have been announced for both cities.

Winners across each of the categories – covering everything from party bars to bar food to new venues – will be revealed at the Awards ceremonies in their respective cities in December.

The awards are an institution in the bar industry with the Sydney gongs being given out for eight years now, while Melbourne’s version is relatively fresh at four years old.

According to Time Out Australia CEO Michael Rodrigues, the bars are put through their paces year on year to make sure that only the best make the cut.

“Each year the Time Out team secretly visit bars, give them a fresh review and nominate the best for our Awards,” he says. “The Awards are our way of saying thanks to the people and venues that keep [our] night-time culture vibrant.”

The top gong in each city is the coveted Bar of the Year trophy, while the People’s Choice Award hands voting to the public to choose the most popular bar of 2015 for each city.

“The Time Out Bar Awards pay tribute to the places we love to visit and the bartenders who shake up the best cocktails in town,” says Emily Lloyd-Tait, Time Out Sydney’s Bars and Pubs Editor. “The Awards are a celebration of the hard work the industry is putting in keeping [the] nightlife alive.”

The Bar Of The Year trophy and the Legend Award – for each city – will be announced on the night.

Voting for the People’s Choice award for both Sydney and Melbourne is open until Thursday 12 November, giving punters the chance to choose their favourite bar.

Melbourne nominees:

BEST NEW BAR

Arbory Bar and Eatery

Bar Exuberante

Boilermaker House

Heartbreaker

Union Electric

BEST WINE BAR

Bar Clarine

Bellota Wine Bar

Gerald’s Bar

Harry & Frankie

Smalls

BEST BAR FOOD

Bar di Stasio

Bellota

Hihou

Kirk’s Wine Bar

Le Bon Ton

BEST BARTENDER

Nathan Beasley – Black Pearl

Oscar Eastman – EDV

Michael Madrusan – The Everleigh

Jack Sotti – Boilermaker House

Nathan Taylor – Kodiak Club

BEST BAR TEAM

Black Pearl

Boilermaker House

EDV

The Everleigh

Romeo Lane

BEST COCKTAIL BAR

Bar Americano

Black Pearl

EDV

The Everleigh

Romeo Lane

BEST PARTY BAR

The Beaufort

Heartbreaker

Madame Brussels

The Mill House

Mr Wow’s Emporium

HOT TALENT AWARD

Wiremu Andrews, Smalls

Amelia Boot, Bad Frankie

Jenna Hemsworth, Lui Bar

Natalie Kerr, Lily Blacks

Luke Sanderson, Black Pearl

PEOPLE’S CHOICE

Arbory Bar and Eatery

Black Pearl

Boilermaker House

Bomba Rooftop

Boston Sub’s Jungle Boy

Doc Martin’s

Goldilocks

The Mill House

Polly

Union Electric

Sydney nominees:

BEST NEW BAR

Dead Ringer

The Old Clare Hotel

Rosie Campbell’s

Surly’s

This Must Be the Place

BEST COCKTAIL BAR

The Baxter Inn

Bulletin Place

Earl’s Juke Joint

Eau De Vie

Lobo Plantation

BEST WINE BAR

121 BC

Bentley Restaurant and Bar

Love Tilly Devine

Monopole

Wine Library

BEST NEIGHBOURHOOD BAR

The Bearded Tit

The Gretz

JB and Sons

Temperance Society

Wilhelmina’s

BEST BAR FOOD

Mary’s

Monopole

Rosie Campbell’s

Sokyo Lounge

Surly’s

BEST BARTENDER

Luke Ashton – TMBTP

Paige Aubort – Lobo Plantation

Bobby Carey – Earl’s Juke Joint

Tom Egerton – Eau De Vie

Jimmy Irvine – The Baxter Inn

BEST BAR TEAM

The Baxter Inn

Earl’s Juke Joint

Lobo Plantation

Papa Gede’s

The Rook

HOT TALENT AWARD

Shay Chamberlain – Bulletin Place

Rachelle Hair – The Baxter Inn

Nathan Pepper – Papa Gede’s

Freddy Rayfield – The Hazy Rose

Dale Schoon – Earl’s Juke Joint

THE PARTY STARTER AWARD

Astral People

Bad Deep

Motorik

One Day

Picnic

BEST PARTY BAR

Freda’s

Goro’s

Goodgod Small Club

Frankie’s Pizza by the Slice

Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern

PEOPLE’S CHOICE

The Barber Shop

Goros

Grain

The Hazy Rose

Lobo Plantation

O Bar and Dining

Papa Gedes

Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern

The Swinging Cat

Tokyo Bird

EVENT DATES

Melbourne: Monday 7 December at The Mill House in Flinders Lane.

Sydney: Sunday 6 December at Sky Terrace at the Star.

The 2016 edition of the Time Out Melbourne/Sydney Bar Guides will be launched in its respective cities at the award ceremonies.

Tickets to the awards night are available to the public.

The Shout Team

The leading online news service for Australia's beer, wine, spirits and hospitality industries.

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