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The Sitchu Awards: Your Guide to Australia’s Most-Loved Local Venues & Businesses
The Sitchu Awards are our annual, reader-voted celebration of the venues, businesses and destinations that you, our readers, swear by. Held across seven states and territories, the awards run in two public phases: nominations, then voting. Winners are chosen entirely by readers, with no paid placements.
From the bakery that starts your morning just right, to the bar that feels like your local living room, to the spa that restores your glow — these are the places that deserve their moment in the spotlight.
What Are The Sitchu Awards?
The Sitchu Awards are an annual celebration of the small businesses and local favourites that define the way we live, dine and play across Australia. They’re the kind of places locals frequent regularly and that form an intrinsic part of local routines.
The Sitchu Awards are national and run state by state, covering New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania. Categories cover food, drink, wellness, retail, escapes and neighbourhoods. Venues are nominated by readers; Sitchu editors then count the nominations and curate the shortlist, and readers vote again to determine winners.
How Do The Sitchu Awards Work?
- Nominations: The process begins with nominations open to Sitchu readers across Australia, giving each state and territory the chance to put forward the spots, across ten categories, that truly matter to them.
- Finalists: After counting the nominations, Sitchu’s editors will shortlist five finalists per category, per state.
- Voting: Voting will reopen, and readers will vote for a winner from the finalists.
- Winners: The finalist with the most votes wins each category.
Key Dates: The Sitchu Awards Timeline
2026 Dates
Nominations: 4pm AEDT, Sunday 4 October to 11:59pm AEDT, Tuesday 13 October
Finalists announced: 10am AEDT, Friday 23 October to 11:59pm AEDT, Wednesday 4 November
Winners announced: Wednesday 25 November
The Sitchu Awards Categories
From indulgent bites to wellness sanctuaries and neighbourhood gems, this is your chance to shine a light on the spots in your state that truly matter:
Best Restaurant: The tables worth booking, from buzzy new openings to tried-and-true favourites that never miss.
Best Neighbourhood Bar: A glass of local vino, a crafted cocktail, or the easy hum of your favourite haunt.
Best Deli or Sandwich Spot: Where the sandwiches are stacked high, the flavours bold, and tomorrow’s cravings are guaranteed.
Best Coffee Spot: From perfectly pulled espresso shots to artisan brews, the cafes that get it right every single time.
Best Cafe or Bakery: The spots doing morning rituals right, from flaky pastries and fresh bakes to breakfasts worth lingering over.
Best Small Town for a Weekend Escape: Where country charm, good food and a change of pace make for the perfect weekend away.
(Australian towns with a population under 30,000 that provide distinctive travel experiences (food, accommodation, activities)
Best Boutique Hotel: Character-filled stays with beautiful details, thoughtful touches and a reason to stay a little longer.
(Boutique hotels under 100 rooms)
Best Small Local Business (Lifestyle & Homewares): Independent names bringing personality to our homes, from considered pieces to those finds you’ll want to keep forever.
(Independently owned businesses, not part of a franchise, chain, or larger corporate group, operating from no more than three physical retail locations.)
Best Small Local Business (Beauty & Fashion): The independent labels, boutiques and beauty businesses putting their own stamp on style.
(Independently owned businesses, not part of a franchise, chain, or larger corporate group, operating from no more than three physical retail locations.)
Best Health & Wellness Business: The studios, treatments and wellness spaces helping us switch off, recharge and feel good in our own skin.
How to Nominate and Vote
Nominate (via the links below) your favourite venues, businesses or destinations in any of the ten categories before 11:59pm AEDT, Tuesday 13 October. Full terms and conditions, including eligibility criteria and prize draw details, are available here.
Finalists will be selected by Sitchu’s editors after nominations are counted (five per category, per state) and announced via Sitchu channels on 10am AEDT, Friday 23 October.
Vote for the winners between 10am AEDT, Friday 23 October to 11:59pm AEDT, Wednesday 4 November. Stay tuned for instructions.
Winners will be announced on Wednesday 25 November.
Nominations can be made here:
New South Wales Nominations
Australian Capital Territory Nominations
*Terms and conditions apply, view them here.
How Are the Winners Chosen
The Sitchu Awards are entirely reader-driven. Sitchu’s community is first invited to nominate their favourite venues and businesses across nine categories. After nominations close, Sitchu’s editors curate five finalists per category. Voting then re-opens, with thousands of reader votes from across Australia determining the final winners. There is no editorial panel involved in the outcome and no paid placements — every winner reflects what locals genuinely love.
Past Years Finalists & Winners
2025 NSW Finalists and Winners
Introducing The Sitchu Awards 2025: Nominate Your Local Legends & Win
The Votes Are In — Meet The Sitchu Awards 2025 Winners!
2025 VIC Finalists & Winners
The Votes Are In — Meet The Sitchu Awards 2025 Finalists!
The Sitchu Awards 2025 Winners: Victoria
2025 QLD Finalists & Winners
The Votes Are In — Meet The Sitchu Awards 2025 Finalists!
The Votes Are In — Meet The Sitchu Awards 2025 Winners!
2025 SA Finalists & Winners
The Votes Are In — Meet The Sitchu Awards 2025 Finalists!
The Votes Are In — Meet The Sitchu Awards 2025 Winners!
2025 WA Finalists & Winners
The Votes Are In — Meet The Sitchu Awards 2025 Finalists!
The Votes Are In — Meet The Sitchu Awards 2025 Winners!
2025 ACT Finalists & Winners
The Votes Are In — Meet The Sitchu Awards 2025 Finalists!
The Votes Are In — Meet The Sitchu Awards 2025 Winners!
2025 TAS Finalists & Winners
The Votes Are In — Meet The Sitchu Awards 2025 Finalists!
The Votes Are In — Meet The Sitchu Awards 2025 Winners!
FAQs About the Sitchu Awards
The Sitchu Awards are an annual, reader-voted celebration of the venues, businesses and destinations that shape everyday living across Australia. They run state-by-state across nine categories spanning food, drink, wellness, retail and weekend escapes. Readers nominate their favourites, Sitchu’s editors shortlist five finalists per category, and readers then vote to crown the winners. There are no paid placements and no cost to enter: the results are entirely reader-driven, making them a genuine snapshot of the places locals rate most.
During the nominations phase, any member of the public aged 18 or over can nominate their favourite venues or businesses in one or more categories via the nomination links on Sitchu. Nominations are open for roughly two weeks each cycle. Every eligible nomination is reviewed by Sitchu’s editorial and state-based editors to confirm it meets the category criteria before finalists are shortlisted.
No. Businesses do not pay to be nominated, shortlisted or awarded, and there are no paid placements anywhere in the process. Finalists are chosen by Sitchu’s editors from public nominations, and winners are decided purely by reader votes. Votes are independently validated before results are confirmed, with duplicate or fraudulent votes disqualified. This keeps the awards genuinely reader-driven — the winners reflect what the Sitchu community actually rates, not commercial arrangements.
Winners are decided by public vote. First, readers nominate businesses across the nine categories. Sitchu’s editorial team then shortlists five finalists per category, per state, from all eligible nominations. Voting reopens to the public, and the finalist with the highest number of valid votes in each category is declared the winner. In the event of a tie, Sitchu applies editorial discretion based on category criteria. There is no editorial panel deciding winners and no paid placements — the outcome is reader-driven from start to finish.
The 2026 Sitchu Awards winners will be announced on Wednesday 25 November. The awards run in stages across seven states and territories. Nominations open on Sunday 4 October and close on Sunday 13 October, with readers putting forward their favourite venues, businesses and destinations across nine categories. Sitchu’s editors then shortlist five finalists per category, per state, announced via Sitchu channels on Friday 23 October. Public voting runs from Friday 23 October to Wednesday 4 November, and the finalist with the most valid votes wins each category.
